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Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) strongly opposed the Republicans’ attempt to gut the American healthcare system. Their bill, which passed on a partisan 217-213 vote, would cause 24 million people to lose their healthcare if it becomes law. At the last minute, Republicans also added an amendment to eliminate protections for millions of Americans with pre-existing medical conditions.

“This destructive legislation has gone from bad to worse,” DelBene said. “Leaving 24 million Americans without coverage and the 133 million Americans without protections for pre-existing conditions isn’t just wrong — it’s inhumane. As I’ve heard from hundreds of constituents, nobody should face bankruptcy just to afford the medical care they need to stay alive. I hope the Senate has the courage and wisdom to stop this ill-conceived legislation before it destabilizes our healthcare system. American families deserve certainty and stability, not more chaos and confusion.”

DelBene spoke out against the bill earlier Thursday. Video can be found HERE.

Republicans tried to pass similar legislation earlier this year, but had to delay a vote because they didn’t have support within their own party. DelBene opposed the bill then as well.

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the previous version of the Republican bill would cause 14 million Americans to lose health coverage within one year, and 24 million in the next decade —  including 7 million workers who would lose employer-sponsored healthcare. It also guts insurance coverage for essential health benefits like ER visits and prescription drugs, hikes insurance premiums by 20 percent and cuts tax assistance for middle-class families in half.

In addition, the Republican bill gives a $7 million tax break to each of the 400 wealthiest American households, slashes benefits and protections for seniors, robs $75 billion from Medicare, defunds Planned Parenthood and cuts funding for Medicaid by more than $800 billion. That would force states to assume massive costs, or else begin rationing healthcare for 68 million children, pregnant women, seniors and people with disabilities — including 600,000 in Washington state.

House leaders pushed forward without an updated CBO estimate for the bill, forcing members to vote on the legislation without knowing how many more Americans would lose health coverage or face higher costs due to the last-minute changes.

DelBene serves on the House Ways and Means Committee and the Budget Committee, where she offered amendments on Medicare, Planned Parenthood and Medicaid to try and improve the legislation. Unfortunately, Republicans blocked all those efforts.

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