Round 2: Fighting the GOP Health Bill in the Senate while Holding House Members Accountable for the

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Round 2: Fighting the GOP Health Bill in the Senate while Holding House Members Accountable for their Votes


https://www.indivisibleguide.com/blog/gop-health-bill-senate-house-accountable-votes/

Ron Pollack | Allies | May 18, 2017




Image: Indivisible Pasco greets Representative Gus Bilirakis with a die-in at his new office opening.





May 4, 2017 was a day of infamy in the House of Representatives—and, no doubt, will long be remembered. On that day, Republicans eked out a narrow House floor passage of the GOP health bill. The vote occurred even though few read the bill, and it was rushed through before a non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis could be prepared.

We do know, however, that the bill would cause tens of millions to lose health insurance. It also would make coverage unaffordable for people most in need of care—especially those with pre-existing health conditions like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and mental health problems. And it would take away over $800 billion in health care funds intended for the poor, transferring most of them to tax give-aways for the wealthy and special interest groups.

The harmful votes cast that day, and the galling Rose Garden celebration President Trump held with House Republicans immediately thereafter, must not, and will not, be forgotten or forgiven during the next two election cycles.

To ensure that result, grassroots activists across the country launched a campaign to hold House Republicans accountable. The “Payback Project”—spearheaded by Indivisible, MoveOn, Town Hall Project, and Women’s March—is making sure House members can’t hide from this vote or from their constituents. Voters will repeatedly be reminded how their representative jeopardized their families’ health care and lives, promoting electoral repercussions that will be intense.

The bill already is opposed by larger margins than the Affordable Care Act (ACA) ever was!

As these important accountability efforts move forward, it will be no less crucial for activists to focus on round two of the legislative process: Senate consideration of the health bill. Since Republicans only have a bare Senate majority, this is where our active opposition has its greatest prospects for success. We must focus like a laser beam on the biggest stakes of that debate, of which at least five concerns will arise that deserve highest-priority advocacy.


Protecting the Safety-Net Medicaid Program..............




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