FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 4, 2017

CONTACT
Emily Fitzmaurice, Massachusetts Democratic Party, 617-939-0808

Massachusetts Democratic Party Statement on Governor Baker’s Response to Trumpcare Vote

BOSTON – Massachusetts Democratic Party Chair Gus Bickford today released the following statement on Governor Baker’s response to his party’s planned Trumpcare vote in the House:

“Millions of Americans are about to lose their health care, and all Governor Baker has done is issue a press release. House Republicans are about to vote on a bill that would strip health insurance from millions of Americans, drive up premiums for seniors, make drastic cuts to Medicaid, eliminate protections for people with preexisting conditions, and put virtually all Americans at risk of losing health care coverage when they need it the most, all so they can give the wealthy an enormous tax cut.

“If Governor Baker doesn’t do everything he possibly can to stop Trumpcare from passing, he will be complicit when people lose their health care, when premiums rise, and when sick people are once again charged so much they can’t afford coverage. Governor Baker should immediately call on Speaker Ryan to withdraw the bill until a full analysis of its effects can be completed, and then begin lobbying the members of his party and speaking out publicly against this cruel bill every single day until it is defeated.”

Background

In 2009, prior to the debate over the Affordable Care Act, Paul Ryan said, “Before Congress changes health care as the American people know it, we must know the likely consequences of the House Democrat legislation, including the number of people who would lose access to their current insurance, the number of jobs lost due to business taxes, the number of uninsured people who would obtain coverage, and the extent of the cannibalization of employer coverage due to Medicaid expansion.”

Today, Ryan’s Republicans are prepared to vote on their health care bill without a Congressional Budget Office score that would provide independent analysis of the effects of the legislation, including basic details like how many people it would cover and how much it would cost. One provision, not reported on until today, would put “people who obtain health insurance through their employers—about half of the country…at risk of losing protections that limit out-of-pocket costs for catastrophic illnesses.”

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