12.02.2017 / Press Release

Senate Passes Bill That Takes Health Care from Millions of Families and Cuts Funding for the Medicare Program to Give Tax Breaks to Millionaires and Corporations

Washington, D.C. – The Senate passed a bill that increases the deficit by more than $1 trillion, raises health insurance premiums for millions of Americans, takes coverage away from millions more, and harms the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The vote passed along a nearly straight party line. The bill now moves to the House of Representatives.

Following is the statement of Frederick Isasi, executive director of Families USA:

“Today, in a partisan manner, Republican Senators cast their votes in favor of short-term political gains and against the long-term interests of people in America. Republican Senators voted against their own principles of fiscal conservatism to pass a bill that increases the nation’s deficit by an astounding $1.47 trillion and personally enriches the wealthiest few of this nation by attacking the health care of people who need it the most. The result will be a spike in monthly health insurance premiums and more than 13 million people losing coverage.

“The legislation is terrible for the people relying on the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Under current law, the legislation would require that next year Congress cut more than $25 billion from the Medicare program, hurting our nation’s seniors and the disabled. Furthermore, the bill sets the country down a path to even larger cuts in Medicare and Medicaid as well social service programs, all of which are critical to the health and economic security of our nation’s families.”

“This terrible legislation is only the latest in a series of attacks on America’s health care by President Trump and Republican leaders in Congress, including the failed efforts to repeal the ACA, refusing to pay cost-sharing reductions, shortening the enrollment window for marketplace coverage, and proposing new marketplace rules that water down health plan benefits. As people in this country see their health insurance get more expensive and cover less in the coming year, they can place the blame squarely where it belongs: on President Trump and Republican leaders in Congress.

“It is now up to the House of Representatives to prevent Congress from harming millions of people including families and seniors. We urge the House to vote against this harmful health bill masked as a ‘tax plan’.”

View Families USA’s analysis and resources on the harmful impacts of the tax bill.