MomsRising Issues Statement on House Leaders’ Decision to Withdraw Health Care Bill

BELLEVUE, Wash., March 24 -- MomsRising issued the following statement by CEO and Executive Director Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner on the House withdrawal of the American Health Care Act:

"Today's incredible win demonstrates the true power of the grassroots movement that has sprung up to resist the Trump administration and the GOP's destructive agenda to gut health care. This is a resounding, major victory for moms, families, our economy and our country. It is proof that when we #KeepMarching together, we are unstoppable.

"The American Health Care Act (AHCA) would have done deep and lasting damage to moms and families, making our country sicker and our economy suffer. This dangerous legislation would have stripped away health insurance from tens of millions while making policies more expensive and less comprehensive. In addition to reducing coverage and raising costs, this terrible bill also would have removed the requirement that insurers cover essential health benefits like maternity care, mental health services, preventive care and prescription drug coverage; allowed states to force new mothers on Medicaid into the workforce just 60 days after they gave birth; gutted Medicaid, which provides care to the most vulnerable members of our society; and defunded Planned Parenthood, cutting off health care, including birth control, cancer screenings and other essential services, for millions.

"The impact of this legislation would have been devastating to tens of millions of people and our economy. There would have been a compounding harmful impact in Black, Latinx, Asian, Native American, LBGTQ+, and rural communities. Medicaid in particular helps boost vulnerable communities, including communities of color, people with disabilities, low-income families, the elderly and pregnant women. The AHCA would have ended this safety net and forced millions of Americans to go without the lifesaving and life-affirming care they so desperately need. MomsRising will continue to stand against any efforts to reduce funding or make damaging structural changes to Medicaid.

"We are thankful that the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) remains the law of the land and 24 million people get to keep their health insurance.

"For months, the more than one million members of MomsRising have been pushing Congress to protect and improve the Affordable Care Act, instead of repealing it, as well as to protect Medicaid. In January and February, our members across the country visited the offices of elected officials to deliver stories from every state that described how the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid have saved lives. Tens of thousands of our members signed letters in support of the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid. Last month, we had moms fly in to give testimony to Congress in D.C. and more than 5,000 MomsRising members attended town halls to speak out for access to affordable health care. And in just the past three days, thousands and thousands of our members have called their representatives to urge them to oppose the American Health Care Act.

"We are thrilled that legislators heard our voices and stopped trying to pass this damaging bill. But there is still work to do. MOMentum helped propel this victory - and we will continue to persist in the fight to protect and improve health care for everyone in this country."

MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America's families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women--particularly moms and women of color--and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamasConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org -- and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.

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