via flickr Creative Commons
By Dorian T. Warren
Just like millions of other Americans, I was moved to see Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue earlier this week, in which he emotionally recounted realizing his son was born with a life-threatening heart defect. I was even more heartened when Kimmel connected his own story to the GOP’s attempts to undermine and dismantle our health care system, noting that babies like his, born with pre-existing conditions, could be priced out of health care coverage under Republicans’ proposed plan.
I was inspired watching the video of Kimmel’s monologue go viral. But today, I am gutted by the callous, conniving way that the GOP has turned the public’s heartfelt reaction to one family’s story into an underhanded deal to pass their harmful healthcare plan.
Yesterday, Republicans announced the so-called Upton Amendment, which would devote $8 billion to subsidize care for people with pre-existing conditions. But this amendment is little more than an $8 billion bribe to moderate Republicans to break their vow to protect constituents with serious health conditions.
A recent analysis found that the proposed plan would need to provide at least $327 billion to provide moderate assistance for Americans with pre-existing conditions. The current version of the GOP health care bill falls $200 billion short, and the $8 billion consolation prize offered by this latest amendment fills in just 4 percent of the funding gap.
And why is this amendment necessary? Because in their health care plan, Republicans have abandoned their core campaign promise by allowing insurers to raise costs for people with pre-existing conditions. Under this latest plan, an estimated 800,000 Americans with pre-existing conditions will be left to fend for themselves as insurers ratchet up costs unchecked.
Perhaps more importantly, the Upton amendment does nothing to address the multitude of other, harmful impacts the proposed law would have on everyday Americans. The Republican plan would strip health care coverage from 24 million people. It would decimate Medicaid as we know it, blocking people struggling to make ends meet from accessing the medical care they need to get and stay healthy. Premiums and out-of-pocket costs would skyrocket for American consumers, all while the wealthiest one percent get a massive tax break at their expense.
We cannot allow the far-right wingers in the House to dupe their moderate colleagues with a meaningless ploy to placate the public. Contrary to what Republicans in the House believe, we are paying attention, and we are not fooled by this toothless amendment. Republicans are playing a penny ante hand of poker with America’s health. It’s time to call their bluff.
I urge Americans to raise their voices today and demand that every moderate Republican who pledged to protect their constituents vote no on this harmful, dangerous plan that would put millions of Americans at risk.
Dorian T. Warren is President of the Center for Community Change Action (CCCA) and Vice-President of the Center for Community Change (CCC).