Press Release
Posted:
Washington – Today, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) released the following statement after Republicans pulled their repeal of the Affordable Care Act:
“The American people made their voices clear in the days leading up to this vote. They believe—as I do—that healthcare is a right, not a luxury. The Affordable Care Act brought 20 million Americans into our healthcare system. It provided peace of mind for Americans with preexisting conditions and chronic illnesses. The bill Speaker Ryan pulled today would have stripped care away from many of them. It would have forced the middle class to pay more while billionaires got a trillion dollars in tax cuts. It is no wonder Americans overwhelmingly opposed it.
“And now it is clear even the Republican party could not unite behind this bill. The time has come to put aside bad policies and focus on the American people. They deserve quality, affordable healthcare. The ACA has done a tremendous amount of good, but it could be even better. If Republicans decide they want to fulfil their campaign promises to cover more Americans for less money, Democrats would be willing to work with them. But a bill that would have cost 24 million Americans their health insurance while raising prices and cutting benefits does not meet that standard.
“We saw today that some members of the Republican party will never be satisfied unless the Affordable Care Act is crumpled up and thrown away. But the overwhelming majority of Americans don’t want to see their healthcare snatched away from them. So let’s work across the aisle. Let’s remember that despite our different parties, most of us want to see Congress work. We want to protect the people we serve. We’ve done it before. We can do it again.”