Hispanic Federation Statement on Senate Republican Health Care Bill

June 22, 2017 (New York, NY) – Hispanic Federation President José Calderón issued the following statement today on the Senate Republican’s alternative to the Affordable Care Act:

“Like everyone else right now, we are in the process of studying the Senate’s newly released health care bill to fully understand its implications. Yet from all indications, the Senate Republican health care bill is just as awful as the bill the House passed last month.”

“First, we want to point out that the process of creating this bill was deeply disturbing and wholly undemocratic. Republican leaders in the Senate chose to write this bill with zero transparency. Worse still, we expect the bill, which would revoke the most important social welfare legislation in the last quarter century, to be voted on without a single committee hearing.”

“Furthermore, the substance of the bill is as odious as the process. Medicaid will be gutted, stripping away health care benefits and protections from tens of millions of vulnerable Americans, including children, low-income families and persons with disabilities. Funding for Planned Parenthood to provide cancer screenings and preventive care will be eliminated for one year. The individual mandate is removed—which will lead to a decline in healthy individuals purchasing coverage and a total disruption to the entire health coverage system. Insurance rates will balloon and the wealthy will receive huge tax cuts they simply don’t need.”

“The Affordable Care Act resulted in the lowest uninsured rate in our nation’s history and coverage for more than 4 million Latinos, who still face the highest uninsured rates of any racial or ethnic group within the United States. As a community, we are disproportionately impacted by pre-existing conditions and other illnesses, including heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes and asthma. Under this bill, many won’t be able to access the preventative care that can keep Latinos out of hospital emergency rooms.”

“There is only one way to stop the Senate Republican leadership’s efforts to dismantle Obamacare. Call your Representatives and Senators to make your voice heard and object. It’s time to make sure that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle understand that we will hold accountable anyone who votes to jeopardize the health and well-being of our fellow citizens.”