Luján Statement on House Vote to Repeal the Affordable Care Act

Statement

Congressman Ben Ray Luján today issued the following statement after a vote in the House of Representatives to begin the process of repealing the Affordable Care Act:

"Today the House of Representatives took the first step in their attempt to wipe away the health coverage and patient protections available through the Affordable Care Act. I strongly opposed that action, as did every Democrat in Congress. Let me explain why:"

"The Affordable Care Act guards and strengthens the health care and economic security of every American and every New Mexican, no matter where he or she gets health coverage.
After years of a non-stop, fact-free crusade against affordable health care that some in Washington have been waging, the Republicans' repeal plan we voted on today will have cold, hard consequences for millions of Americans."

"Working families will bear the brunt of Republicans' blind contempt for the Affordable Care Act. The Republican health care repeal will put insurance companies rather than doctors in charge of health care, rip coverage away from 30 million people and raise premiums in New Mexico and all across the country."

"What the Republicans proposed today is a "cut and run' strategy. Cut the benefits, and run away from it. Cut the access to Medicare, and run away from it. Cut the advantages that Medicaid expansion brought with it, and run away from that too."

"They may be able run for now, but they won't be able to hide from the consequences of their actions for very long because the cost to individuals, families, businesses and hospitals and providers will be dire."

"If Republicans move forward with their plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act with no so-called replacement plan in sight, New Mexico will lose $28 billion in federal funding for Medicaid, CHIP and financial assistance for marketplace coverage. We have a budget crisis here in the state and afford to leave a single dollar of federal funds on the table, much less $28 billion! In addition, the elimination of the Medicaid expansion program will gut nearly 4,800 healthcare and social assistance jobs in our state."

"As devastating as the economic consequences of this reckless repeal are going to be, the real tragedy is the impact on nearly 300,000 New Mexicans who stand to completely lose their health coverage outright.

"I want to remind our friends across the aisle that while we know the ACA isn't perfect, it is undeniable that it has made life better for hundreds of thousands of individuals and families here in New Mexico."

"I will continue to fight this short-sighted, politically-fueled rush to wipe away health care for so many hard working New Mexican families. While Republicans are one step closer to repealing health coverage without a plan to replace it, I will not stop fighting to preserve affordable health care, because this is a fight worth having."

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