Mar 3, 2017
Take Action to Fight Republicans' Secret Efforts to Slash Medicaid Funding and Repeal the Affordable Care Act
We are at a critical juncture in Congress' attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act and dramatically undermine Medicaid by changing its financing to a block grant or per capita cap. Last night we learned that Republicans have a secret plan that they will only let Republican members and staffers view in a "dedicated reading room." A Bloomberg article - Republicans Hide New Obamacare Draft Under Shroud of Secrecy - sheds light on this information.
With reports that House Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce will begin marking up this secret language next week, we need to emphasize the need to provide an open and transparent process so that there is an opportunity for input, hearings, and a financial "score" from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) before the first vote is cast.
Key Points
Republicans in Congress are planning to sneak through a plan that repeals health care that will mean less coverage, weaker protections and higher costs.
After seeing the latest polling and how scared and angry people were at town halls, Republicans are rushing forward with a secret plan because they know how bad their plan is and that people will reject it.
There must be an open and transparent process before taking health insurance away from tens of millions of people, increasing taxes and out-of-pocket health care costs for working people, and destroying Medicaid.
The secret plan needs to be debated responsibly under regular order - there needs to be an opportunity for input, hearings, and a CBO score before the first vote is cast in Committee.
IMMEDIATE ACTION STEPS:
1. Make four phone calls. Sample message - "What's the big secret? Show us your plan that allows 30 million Americans to keep their coverage, protects 74 million Medicaid enrollees, and makes monthly premiums, co-pays and prescription medicines affordable for all."
Call House Speaker Ryan - (202) 225-0600
Call the House Energy & Commerce Committee - (202) 225-2927
Call the House Ways & Means Committee - (202) 225-3625)
Call your Republican Representative (or one from your state) - 866-426-2631 (you will be connected to your Republican Representative or a Republican Representative from your state)
2. Spread the word via social media. Use the hashtag #NoSecretPlan & retweet https://twitter.com/FamiliesUSA/status/837316074903318528
