House Dems React to Federal Health Care Act Draft, Call on Gardner to Oppose

DENVER, June 22 -- The Colorado House Democrats issued the following news:

Upon seeing the draft of the Senate healthcare bill that was released this morning, Speaker Crisanta Duran and House health committee chairs Reps. Joann Ginal and Jonathan Singer denounced the overhaul, citing deep concerns with how the Senate Republican proposal would endanger the health of tens of thousands of Coloradans, and expressed outrage at the closed-door process through which the bill was drafted. The legislators also called on Senator Cory Gardner to join fellow Colorado Senator Michael Bennet and stand up for Coloradans against this dangerous and rushed bill.

"This will effectively create tax cuts for the rich, paid for by gutting a crucial program that covers children, mothers and pregnant women, people with disabilities, and elders in nursing homes, and making it more difficult for hardworking Americans across the country to afford health care," said Speaker Crisanta Duran, D-Denver. "Senator Gardner needs to stand up for the people of our state, vote no on this bill, and urge his Senate Republican colleagues to go through a transparent hearing process so the American people can have their voices heard and their concerns addressed."

"Please Senator Gardner, vote no on this bill," said Rep. Joann Ginal, D-Fort Collins. "It will hurt so many of the people who you were elected to serve and represent. This bill will have profound effects on children with disabilities, seniors who want to remain independent, people who need behavioral health services, and so many others. This is a bad bill that will hurt millions of people in our country and tens of thousands of people here at home in Colorado."

"This bill will roll back access to health care for hardworking Colorado families, drive up out-of-pocket costs, and make massive cuts to Medicaid, especially for our elders and kids, jeopardizing the care of hundreds of thousands of Coloradans," said Rep. Jonathan Singer, D-Longmont. "It's unacceptable that a bill written in secret, that affects so much of our economy, is focused on tax cuts for the wealthy while the rest of us would suffer. I encourage Coloradans to reach out to their Senators and urge them to vote no."

Rep. Crisanta Duran is the Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives. Rep. Joann Ginal is chair of the House Health, Insurance, & Environment Committee. Rep. Jonathan Singer is chair of the House Public Health & Human Services Committee.

1.4 million Coloradans are covered by Medicaid. The program serves children, mothers and pregnant women, adults and children with disabilities, seniors in nursing homes, and the neediest Americans. The Medicaid expansion has covered approximately 400,000 additional Coloradans and 94 percent of Coloradans now have health coverage. According to the Colorado Health Institute, under the House version of the AHCA, Colorado could lose $14 billion in Medicaid funding by 2030, and 600,000 fewer Coloradans would be covered - the Senate bill also contains similar provisions capping and cutting Medicaid funding.