You can listen to today’s call with Reps. Dingell and Lawrence, health care champion Laura Packard here
Today, on the anniversary of Democrats passing the Affordable Care Act, Representatives Debbie Dingell (MI-12) and Brenda Lawrence (MI-14) joined national health care advocate and cancer survivor Laura Packard to condemn Republicans’ latest efforts to raise health care costs for Michigan’s working families and to celebrate President Biden’s successful efforts to reduce insurance premiums through the American Rescue Plan.
During the call, the speakers blasted Republicans in Congress for once again pledging to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and voting against the American Rescue plan–which lowered costs and helped 300,000 more Michiganders get enrolled in coverage. While Democratsare committed to delivering for Michiganders, Republicans remain laser-focused on ripping health care from millions and raising insurance costs.
“Michigan Republicans have been silent on whether they agree with their colleague Ron Johnson, however every single one of the Michigan Republicans in 2018 and 2020 ran on the basis that they would repeal the Affordable Care Act,” said Representative Brenda Lawrence. “The choice could not be more clear: Republicans’ economic agenda is gutting the health care Americans count on, raising premiums, and hiking taxes on half of the country. President Biden and Democrats are focused on the steps he laid out in the State of the Union to lower costs for Americans: manufacturing more in America, breaking up supply chain bottlenecks that are raising prices, promoting competition, and reducing health care costs like prescription drugs.”
“Repealing the ACA means that an individual with cancer would once again be denied coverage because they have a preexisting condition. It would mean a 22-year-old graduating from college can’t stay on their parents health plan while they’re looking for a job. It means every American would lose access to preventative services like flu shots, cancer screenings, and other vaccines,” said Representative Debbie Dingell. I’m going to fight tooth and nail against any effort to attack the ACA and rip heath care coverage from millions of Americans.“
“Without the care I received through the Affordable Care Act, today I would be bankrupt or dead,” said Laura Packard. “The day after my first chemotherapy treatment, Republicans in the U.S. House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act. That kicked off my summer of terror where every two weeks I’d go to the doctor for [chemotherapy] and every day I’d be glued to the television and internet to figure out if I’d be able to keep the insurance that was keeping me alive. We can’t ever go back to that […] Trump Republicans like Senator Ron Johnson have been lying in wait, and if they get back into power they will try again to destroy the ACA.”
Through the American Rescue Plan, President Biden and Democrats in Congress provided generous subsidies that lowered costs for routine exams, reduced annual premiums by $800 lower for Americans last year, and helped 300,000 more Michganders sign up for affordable coverage.
