Cramer: House Votes to Repeal Obamacare and Defund Planned Parenthood
Statement
Congressman Kevin Cramer announced today the U.S. House of Representatives agreed to the Senate amendment to H.R. 3762, Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015. The bill repeals the health exchange subsidies and the Medicaid expansion included in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), repeals the "Obamacare slush fund," eliminates federal funding for Planned Parenthood, repeals the individual and employer mandate penalties, repeals the medical device and "Cadillac" tax, and enhances Medicare solvency. The legislation now goes directly to the President for his signature or veto.
"Obamacare has been an absolute failure," said Cramer. "It has driven up the cost of health care and insurance premiums for millions of Americans and their families. The fact is for the first time in many years both the House and Senate were able to pass a budget which provides us with the unique opportunity to use the budget reconciliation process to approve legislation repealing Obamacare. It is now on the President to admit Obamacare has failed and set aside partisan politics, sign this bill, and commit to working with Congress to create solutions which will actually make our healthcare system best respond to the needs of all Americans."
In addition to dismantling Obamacare, the bill diverts funds from abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood to a broader network of healthcare providers throughout the country. "The federal government's funding of Planned Parenthood prevents resources from reaching many Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) who serve low income women in rural and urban communities throughout the nation. North Dakota has 71 FQHC facilities which would be now have the funding to treat thousands of women. This process would be replicated in every state in the country."
Cramer spoke about the need to defund Planned Parenthood and utilize those resources to increase women's health care funding and access through FQHC's facilities earlier this year.
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