CWA Statement on House Vote on Health Care

A statement by CWA President Chris Shelton on today's House vote on health care legislation:

Today's vote told us everything we need to know about the Republican members of the House of Representatives who supported this bill. They voted to strip basic health care protections from working families and allow insurance companies to sell health care plans that don't cover essential care or necessary treatment like chemotherapy.

They voted to allow the states to do away with coverage for pre-existing medical conditions. That means premium costs for millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions would explode, and millions more will find it impossible to obtain health care at any price. 

This isn’t a health care bill – it’s a half a billion dollar tax cut for corporations, insurance executives, and the wealthiest Americans. At least 24 million people will lose their health care and Americans age 50 and older will see their costs skyrocket under the "age tax" the bill institutes, all to provide a big tax break for corporations and the wealthy.

Union members fortunate enough to keep their coverage will be punished with higher costs under the "Cadillac tax" that Republicans left in place. Thousands of members of my union and other health care workers will lose their jobs.

This legislation is built on lies, and the American people know it. Come Election Day in 2018, many Republican House members will realize how badly they miscalculated today. The House leadership and the Republican members who supported this bill ignored their constituents, and they will pay the price. We expect that members of the U.S. Senate won't make the same mistake.