Families USA Issues Statement on Health Care Life-Line for America’s Families

WASHINGTON, June 27 -- Families USA issued the following statement by Frederick Isasi, executive director:

According to press reports, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced today he would not bring the Republican plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) up for a vote until after the July 4 recess. The plan, negotiated behind closed doors and originally scheduled for a vote this week, represents one of the most unpopular bills to be considered by Congress in decades. It has drawn widespread criticism from doctors, hospitals, and patient and consumer advocates because it would result in 22 million people losing health care coverage, drive up deductibles and out-of-pockets costs, and savage the Medicaid program that provides coverage for the most vulnerable seniors, children, people with disabilities and low-income adults.

"America's families should celebrate this moment, but we need to keep the pressure on. Senator McConnell will use this time to try and add senator-specific back-room deals that will get him the 50 votes he needs.

"All of us who care about ensuring that the best health and health care are equally accessible to all need to use this time to persuade reasonable Republican senators that it's time to start over and find real solutions that help, not hurt, our nation's children, seniors, disabled, and working-families."