Americans United for Change Hails Passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Americans United for Change Hails Passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in the U.S. House as Monumental Victory for Average American Families Sick of Ever-Rising Health Care Costs and Insurance Company Abuses
Washington DC – Statement from Tom McMahon, Acting Executive Director, Americans United for Change on the historic passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in the U.S. House tonight:
“In a monumental victory for average Americans over powerful special interests, the legislative hurdle cleared in the U.S. House today puts comprehensive health insurance reform on a clear path to the President’s desk -- reform that will usher in a new era of accountability for the insurance industry and ensure all Americans access to the quality and affordable health care they deserve.
“What an incredible testament to the leadership and commitment of President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, and Majority Leader Reid that seven Presidents and seven Congresses before them tried and failed to achieve the reform that will soon be realized – reform that was declared dead time and again by Congressional Republicans rooting for its failure from day one.
“With 32 million Americans poised to gain coverage that many avoided necessary treatment without, and with all Americans poised to gain piece of mind that the insurance companies can’t exclude them for pre-existing conditions or drop them if they get sick, this is a moment every bit as historic as the passage of Social Security and Medicare in the 20th Century.
“And just like Social Security or Medicare or civil rights, those who voted to protect the status quo will find themselves on the wrong side of history. On this day, however, the Republicans in Congress seem very proud of themselves for voting to protect the profits of insurance companies that see absolutely nothing wrong with raising premiums as high as 75 percent. They’re patting themselves on the back for siding with the big insurance companies over their constituents that went bankrupt after they got sick and had their coverage rescinded. They stood up unanimously for an industry that considers domestic violence or having had a C-section to be “pre-existing conditions.” And many of the same Congressional Republicans that claim to be champions on issues of life chose to ignore the 45,000 Americans that die each year because they don’t have insurance and can’t get the care they need.
“These Republicans made a different kind of history today by voting to deny giving the struggling families they represent access to the same kind of insurance they enjoy very much as members of Congress. If it’s good enough for them, shouldn’t it be good enough for their constituents?
“When the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is ultimately signed into law, it will be interesting to see how many Republicans campaign on a promise to repeal it and effectively strip 32 million Americans of their health coverage, roll back the ban on lifetime and annual insurance caps, restore the ‘donut hole’ prescription drug coverage gap for seniors, kick young adults from their parents’ policies, take back the tax credits issued to families and small businesses in their districts, take the nation off a path towards reducing the deficit by $1.2 trillion, and undo the sweeping new protections for all Americans from the worst insurance industry practices.”