Bustos Statement on House Republicans Voting to Start Affordable Care Act Repeal Process

WASHINGTON - Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17) voted against the GOP's budget which lays the groundwork for repealing the Affordable Care Act. In her statement, Bustos laid out the very real impact that repeal would mean for hardworking men and women across our state.

"Today, House Republicans took the first step in their job-killing effort to take health care away from millions of Americans," said Congresswoman Cheri Bustos. "While we need to strengthen and improve the Affordable Care Act, the facts are very clear about what repeal would mean. Whether it's giving massive tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy while raising taxes on low income families, giving insurance companies the ability to take care away from patients when they need it most or returning to the days when women could be charged more than men - repealing the Affordable Care Act with no plan to replace it would be a historic step in the wrong direction for millions of Americans."

Background:

According to a study by the non-partisan Commonwealth Fund and George Washington University, the elimination of tax credits and Medicaid expansion caused by repealing the Affordable Care Act would cause 114,300 job losses in Illinois by 2019. This includes 39,300 jobs in health care, 10,900 in construction or real estate, 11,200 in retail trade, 7,900 in finance or insurance and 42,500 in other private sectors. You can read that study by visiting https://publichealth.gwu.edu/sites/default/files/downloads/HPM/Repealing_Federal_Health_Reform.pdf.

According to the non-partisan Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, households earning more than $1 million per year would receive tax cuts averaging over $57,570 and those in the top .1 percent would get tax cuts averaging $260,630 by 2025. Meanwhile, an estimated 7 million low and middle income households would see a tax increase of $5,740 by 2025 as a result of tax credits from the Affordable Care Act being revoked. You can read about that report by going to: http//www.cbpp.org/sites/default/files/atoms/files/12-15-16tax.pdf.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Affordable Care Act has benefited:

* 196,727 Illinois seniors who saved $205 million on prescription drugs in 2015, an average of more than $1,041 per beneficiary.

* Up to 5,635,622 Illinoisans who can no longer be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition.

* An estimated 91,000 young Illinoisans who have stayed on their parents plan up to age 26.

* 5,883,105 Illinoisans who can get free preventative care, including cancer screenings, flu shots, mammograms and contraception.

* An estimated 340,000 Illinoisans who've gained access to health care through Medicaid expansion.

* Illinois women who can no longer be charged more for basic care than men.

Repealing the Affordable Care Act would roll back all of these important accomplishments.

Read this original document at: https://bustos.house.gov/bustos-statement-house-republicans-voting-start-affordable-care-act-repeal-process/