United Action for Idaho’s Statement on Today’s ACA Repeal Vote in Congress:

July 10, 2012

Additional Information

Idaho People Demand Solutions on Economy and Jobs While Congressional Republicans Focus on 31st Repeal Vote

Representatives Labrador and Simpson vote for repeal that would strip health care benefits and consumer protections

from millions of Americans

Boise, Idaho– As the US House votes 244 to 185 to repeal the Affordable Care Act in its entirety. Here is a statement from Adrienne Evans, Executive Director of United Action for Idaho, a statewide advocacy organization that worked to pass the Affordable Care Act in 2010 as part of the national Health Care for America Now Campaign:

“Today’s vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act demonstrates once again that Republicans in Congress care more about partisan political games than solving problems for the middle class.  Representative’s Labrador and Simpson and the other hyper-partisan Republicans have now voted 31 times to repeal a law that the Supreme Court has upheld as constitutional and that already provides benefits and consumer protections to more than 100 million people.

Representative’s Labrador and Simpson has voted repeatedly to strip these folks of their health care by supporting repeal and by voting this year for the Romney-Ryan budget that ends Medicare as we know it and dismantles Medicaid in order to give millionaires a $150,000 annual tax break.

Repealing the ACA would unequivocally hurt Representative’s Labrador and Simpson’s own constituents, many of whom already rely on Obamacare for benefits.  Repealing the law would:

  • Take away health insurance from

young adults who are now covered under the law’s provision that allows young adults to remain on a parent’s policy until age 26.

  • Give back to the insurance companies the power to discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions, to impose arbitrary caps and limits on coverage and to deny claims for any reason.

“It’s time for Republicans in Congress to stop wasting time on political games,” said Evans. “Representative’s Labrador and Simpson should stop trying to drag our country backwards and trying to take away our health care benefits. Representative’s Labrador and Simpson should move on and get to work on fixing the economy and creating jobs for the American people.”

Here are some messages from Idahoans who would have and can benefit from Obamacare:

Without insurance this Idaho man, had no choice but to suffer in silence as long as he could. He wasn’t in a situation where he couldn’t afford the health insurance, he could afford it easily. But to have health insurance would’ve required a greater cost than just the premium. He could afford health coverage or his farm; he couldn’t afford both. He thought if he could just make it to 65 he’d be fine. At 65 he fully expected Medicare to kick in and help. Unfortunately, by the time he turned 65 and was able to seek out medical care, the prostate cancer had advanced to Level 4 – his checkup had just come too late. After two years of suffering this Idaho man lost his battle with cancer. While our government continues to spend the country into debt that will not be paid off in our lifetimes, hundreds of thousands of citizens are left each day to make choices that are literally life and death.

“We have a grandson who had cancer when he was about eight years old. He cannot afford insurance because of the cost. The affordable care act allowed him to stay on his parents insurance while on a mission for his church. If he cannot afford insurance when he gets back in college next year I am pretty sure none of our family will ever support those responsible again at the ballot box.”

“Our 42 year old son who works for a company that offers no benefits.  He has a pre-existing condition and could not get health insurance until Obamacare made it possible.  Last week, he was finally able to afford some long delayed preventative medical tests.  One of them caught a condition, that would have killed him had it remained undiagnosed.”

“It allowed us to continue to provide health insurance for our 25 year old son, which he was not able to get through his employer.”

“If you and the GOP want to be responsible for doubling prescription drug costs for seniors, then repeal the Affordable Care Act.  Everyone involved in helping seniors with prescription drug plans will be sure to let them know you are responsible for the increase in their costs.”

“I can't say that I have benefited directly yet, but I do know that since the Republican effort to put a stop to anything that the current administration has tried to do to address the horrible health care system in this, (the richest country in the world), they have managed to gut the ACA! -  - I am 62 and on social security. My wife & I co-own a small business that barely gets by in a good economy. We have catastrophic health insurance at the current cost of over $650 a month. It goes up $100 a month per year - Recently my wife was told it was essential to have several procedures done. We were very concerned.  -  - At a cost of over $5000.00 we were told she just has a sensitive nervous system and proscribed a mild anti depressant. -  - The service providers want their money now. Maybe Mr. Cantor could help me with this. Maybe Mr. Cantor & his colleagues could give up their free health care and save the tax payers lots of money. -  - Single payer now! “

“My wife and I have always had health insurance coverage thru the companies I worked for but we have read plenty of stories about people who would not have survived without Obama's health care plan which we fully support.  I was a republican all my life until the mid-90's when I finally realized that the majority of politicians, especially republicans, are owned by big corporations and their lobbyists and they simply don't care about the middle class and poor people in our country.”