GA GOP in ACA Denial

Georgia GOP Congressman Continue Boorish Partisanship with 67^th Vote to Repeal the Affordable Care Act

 

Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted—for the 67^th time—to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Georgia’s GOP delegation to the House voted in favor of the measure.

 

Nationwide, 9.5 million Americans have enrolled in the Health Insurance Marketplace, including 425,927 Georgians.  (HHS.Gov 1-27-2015)

 

If Republicans had their way, millions of people would lose their health insurance, insurance companies would once again be allowed to deny coverage or charge higher premiums to individuals with pre-existing conditions, and millions of seniors would be forced to pay more for their prescriptions.

 

The Affordable Care Act is working—the national uninsured rate is nearing a historic low, 4.5 million young adults have gained insurance since 2010, and 17 million children with pre-existing conditions can no longer be denied coverage.

 

Despite these facts, here’s what Georgia Republicans had to say about yesterday’s vote:

 

Rep. Rick Allen – “Simply put, ObamaCare is an unworkable law that is wrong for Americans and disastrous for our economy.”

 

Rep. Buddy Carter – “Today, I voted to repeal the health care law that is destroying the healthcare system…”

 

Rep. Barry Loudermilk – “Today’s vote signals a strong departure from business-as-usual and builds a solid foundation for restoring free-market solutions…”

 

Rep. Lynn Westmoreland –  “…I will continue to vote to dismantle and repeal ObamaCare every opportunity I get.”

 

Rep. Tom Price – “In the House of Representatives, we are saying we need to get rid of this law…”

 

Rep. Tom Graves  – “By repealing Obamacare in its entirety, we can start fresh on health care reform…”

 

Sen. Johnny Isakson – “This entire law is fundamentally flawed and must be taken out root and branch.”

 

Sen. David Perdue – “It’s time for a full repeal.”

 

The same day House Republicans voted to repeal the ACA, Naomi Rosen—an organic farmer from rural Georgia—was among 10 individuals invited to the White House to meet with President Obama to discuss how they have benefitted from the ACA. Naomi had written a letter to the President in June of last year, describing her battle rheumatoid arthritis and how the ACA has impacted her life.

 

From a White House Press Release:

 

Then, about three years ago, she found she could no longer climb onto her tractor, bend down to pull weeds, or harvest her crops.

“I started to use a cane to walk with,” she wrote the President. “I could barely feed and water my flock of free-range chickens…I started to wonder how long I could handle that level of pain and think of alternatives.”

Then, as Naomi said, the ACA happened. A widower, she lives off her husband’s Social Security, and so she qualified for tax credits that have put her monthly premiums under $5 a month. She found an orthopedist nearby, got x-rays — which showed no cartilage on either hip — and scheduled a right hip replacement.

This past June, she was able to climb on her tractor for the first time in four years. 

 

While Georgia Republicans continue their obsession with repealing the ACA, Democrats will continue to find new ways to improve access to healthcare and put problem-solving above politics.