ACLU Comment on Senate Health Care Bill

NEW YORK, June 22 -- The American Civil Liberties Union, a 501(c)3 non-profit that works to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the U.S., issued the following news release:

Senate Republicans today finally released a discussion draft of their healthcare repeal bill after weeks of secret internal negotiations.

American Civil Liberties Union National Political Director Faiz Shakir had the following reaction:

"Heartless! Now we know why Senate Republicans have done everything they can to hide the contents of their health care repeal bill from the American people. By eviscerating Medicaid, this bill threatens the liberty of people with disabilities, who will be forced to live in nursing homes and institutions instead of their own homes. By defunding Planned Parenthood, this bill threatens the health of 2.5 million women and men in our country, many of whom rely on the health centers as their only source of care. And by throwing tens of millions of people off their insurance, this bill disproportionately impacts communities of color who will lose access to care and coverage.

"The Senate's proposal is not fundamentally different from the House's approach. The end result is that it will endanger the lives and liberty of many Americans. Congress must reject this bill and vote with Americans' future in mind."