We scored a major victory today. The House Republicans pulled the American Health Care Act, deciding not to proceed with a bill that would have dismantled Medicaid and threatened health coverage for millions of people in our country.
That legislation would have left 24 million people without health coverage over the next decade, cut Medicaid by $880 billion, undermined the very structure and future of Medicaid by instituting a per capita cap, and left low-income individuals without the support they needed to afford quality care.
For everyone who has gotten discouraged and feels like their voice doesn’t matter in Congress, the defeat of the AHCA proves otherwise.
People around the country, including many people in the FCNL network, repeatedly contacted their members of Congress, urging them to oppose the AHCA and any legislation that undermines Medicaid and access to affordable, quality health coverage.
In particular, 400 young adults came to Capitol Hill as a part of FCNL’s Spring Lobby Weekend, just days before this vote, carrying a strong message to their members of Congress to protect Medicaid and oppose the AHCA.
Congress listened. Today is not just a victory on health care, it’s also a victory for everyone out there that believes their voice matters and that constituent advocacy works.
This isn’t the last word on health care, and major issues remain within our country’s health care system that we hope Congress will address in a bipartisan way. Please thank your representative for listening to his or her constituents on this issue and urge continued work to ensure access to affordable health care for all.
As we look ahead on health care issues and so many others before Congress, FCNL will keep advocating and pushing Congress to advance peace and justice.
Thank you to everyone whose hard work and persistence brought us to this moment. Just a few months ago, it seemed certain that legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act would be on President Trump’s desk the day after the inauguration. As Rep. Keith Ellison told Spring Lobby Weekend participants, we work for what is right. And that work, in itself, changes the odds in our favor.
