Costa Statement on House Passage of American Health Care Act

Washington, DC - Today, Rep. Jim Costa (CA-16) released the following statement after the United States House of Representatives passed H.R. 1628, the American Health Care Act (AHCA). The legislation passed on a vote of 217 to 213. The AHCA makes significant changes to our nation's health care system.

"Congressional Republican leaders and the Trump Administration have spent several weeks negotiating, and the end result of those negotiations made a disastrous health care bill even worse," said Rep. Costa. "The American people have demanded solutions that improve their health care outcomes from Congress, and this legislation fails to meet that test. If the American Health Care Act is enacted into law, then millions of Americans, including many of our friends and neighbors in the San Joaquin Valley, will either see their health care costs rise substantially or they will completely lose their coverage. Unconscionably, this legislation will also reduce the health care options available to our nation's veterans, betraying our nation's heroes after they have served our country."

On March 24, the U.S. House of Representatives was scheduled to vote on the American Health Care Act, but due to lack of support from Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle, Republican leadership was forced to pull the legislation from the House floor.

Costa continued, "The fact is that hundreds of thousands of Valley residents have gained health care coverage, and the uninsured rate in my district alone has been cut in half due to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. The ACA is not perfect, and I've always been clear in saying that the law needs to be fixed, but the American Health Care Act, in its current form, is not the solution.

"We must come together to find a bipartisan way to improve our health care system. I have been saying this for years, and I believe it now as much as ever. Only by working across the aisle, Republicans and Democrats together, can we address the challenges with our health care system to provide Americans - all Americans - access to quality and affordable health care coverage.

"I sincerely hope that our U.S. Senators take a serious look at how this legislation would negatively impact our country's health care system and either substantially change, or simply oppose, this bill. It is time to stop this needless partisan bickering and make the changes necessary in our health care system to improve health care outcomes and reduce costs for all Americans."

Since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the percentage of uninsured individuals living in California's 16th Congressional District has gone from 22% to 11%. Over 140,000 of Rep. Costa's constituents have gained health care coverage since the ACA's implementation.

The American Health Care Act would cut Medicaid spending by $880 billion. It gives states the option to obtain a waiver allowing insurance providers to no longer cover essential health benefits and charge those with pre-existing conditions more. Essential health benefits include maternity care, emergency services, hospitalization, prescription drugs, preventative services, pediatric services, and outpatient care.

Read this original document at: https://costa.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/costa-statement-house-passage-american-health-care-act