Civil and Human Rights Coalition: Senate Health Care Plan Would Be Devastating

WASHINGTON, June 22 -- Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement on the release of the Senate Republican's discussion draft of their health care legislation:

"President Trump was right in calling the House Republican health care bill 'mean,' and the Senate Republican bill is no better. The details released today make it clear - this legislation, crafted in secret, would be devastating to the millions of Americans who rely on the benefits of the Affordable Care Act.

"The changes to Medicaid alone would hit people of color and underserved populations, including individuals and families living in poverty, people of color, women, immigrants, LGBTQ individuals, individuals with disabilities, seniors, and individuals with limited English proficiency especially hard. The ACA has reduced the number of people without insurance to historic lows, and while we are still awaiting the analysis from the Congressional Budget Office, it's clear that the Senate bill, like the House, will deprive millions of Americans of affordable health care.

"The Republican majority is playing with peoples' lives in the most cavalier way. The only people who will benefit are the millionaires and billionaires who will get a big tax cut. We urge the Senate to reject this bill."