Success: GOP Health Care Bill Pulled From House

Target: Paul Ryan, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives

Goal: Praise the decision to pull a health care bill that would increase the number of uninsured and destroy life-saving health programs.

Paul Ryan and other House Republican leaders decided to pull their proposed health care bill, which would replace the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare. The Republicans’ bill has faced significant backlash from highly conservative and moderate Republicans as well as Democrats in the House and the Senate. More important, the replacement proposal was extremely unpopular – even among Republican constituents who have packed town halls across the country to demand that life-saving health programs are not destroyed. ForceChange highlighted major problems with the GOP health care proposed legislation and helped echo the public outcry by publishing this and this petition.

Republicans have talked about replacing Obamacare for eight years and yet could not come up with a calibrated legislation proposal once in power. Since the first announcement of their replacement bill, there has been a dramatic back and forth between President Trump, Speaker Ryan and Republican ranks in Congress and an incredible lack of consensus among them. Despite the lengthy negotiations, concessions and changes in the letter of the law have not substantially modified the grim prospects brought by the GOP health care bill.

It was expected that federal spending on health care would be reduced by $150 billion over 10 years (and not by $337 billion as initially alleged). Furthermore, 14 million more people would be uninsured in 2018, and 24 million more people would lack coverage by 2026. Also, premiums would initially be 15 to 20 percent higher than under Obamacare, and Medicare, Planned Parenthood and disease-prevention programs would suffer a major blow.

Though some internal cracks in the Republican Party have contributed to getting the vote derailed, it is undeniable that public outcry played the greatest role in tossing this disgraceful bill. Protests at town halls, interventions in the national and international media, petitions and phone-banking efforts have shown the power of people. In the hours leading up to the decision of finally pulling the GOP bill, Twitter exploded with the hashtag #KillTheBill. Obamacare stays intact for the time being, but we should keep inspired and use the potential of our mobilization to improve it and push for a greater health care system in the United States.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Mr. Ryan,

I appreciate that you decided to pull the proposed health care bill that would replace Obamacare. Though I believe that the GOP proposal should not have been presented in the first place, I thank you for realizing that this proposed bill is not the best way to reform our health care system. It is unacceptable that 14 million more people would be uninsured in 2018, 24 million people would be uninsured by 2026, and Medicare would have its budget cut – just to name a few devastating consequences of your bill.

I urge you to listen to the vast majority of the American population, who wants to expand – and not shrink – our health care system and the funding for it. I hope that in the next months you open an extensive dialogue with the public and other legislators with the goal of improving the foundations laid out by Obamacare.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore