Pappas Continues to Stand Against Largest Health Care Cut in American History

Today Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) released the following statement before once again voting against Republicans’ reconciliation bill:

“I am appalled that despite the immense outcry from our constituents, Republicans are choosing to move forward with this betrayal of American families. One senior in Manchester, Dan, wrote to my office to share how SNAP ensures he can put food on the table for his family, as his fixed income cannot keep up with the cost of his rent. This legislation wouldn’t only put food assistance for his family at risk; it would put Medicare coverage for seniors like him at risk because of how drastically this scheme raises our national debt.”

“People’s health, their dignity, and their independence and ability to make ends meet are on the line. Sending this bill to the President’s desk would leave millions of Americans without access to affordable health care and unable to put food on the table, all for the sake of tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. I remain a no on this bill and urge my Republican colleagues to listen to the voices of their constituents and join me in voting down this cruel scheme.”

The latest available figures indicate this legislation would:

• Leave 17 million Americans uninsured, including at least 46,388 Granite Staters. The bill cuts more than $1 trillion from Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Combined with the expiring tax credits and the Trump Administration’s sabotage of ACA Marketplaces, the bill leaves a whopping 17 million more Americans uninsured.
• Trigger $500 billion in cuts to Medicare.Because the bill adds trillions of dollars to the deficit, it triggers a process known as Medicare sequestration, which requires hundreds of billions in automatic payment cuts to Medicare providers and threatens patient access to care.
• Increase monthly out-of-pocket costs for families and leave more Americans with overwhelming medical debt. The bill increases co-pays for people on Medicaid who make as little as $1,300 a month, forcing them to choose between health care and other basic needs, and cuts retroactive Medicaid coverage, leaving low-income Americans with overwhelming medical debt in times of crisis and hospitals and nursing homes with more uncompensated care. The bill also fails to extend ACA enhanced premium tax credits, which expire at the end of 2025, spiking health insurance premiums for millions of families. 
• Defund Planned Parenthood, leaving more than 1.1 million women without access to needed care like cancer screenings and birth control. The bill bans Planned Parenthood health centers nationwide from participating in the Medicaid program, which helps people with lower incomes obtain basic reproductive health care such as birth control, cancer screenings, and STI testing and treatment. Without this coverage, patients will lose access to essential care.
• Kick millions of Americans off SNAP, leaving them unable to put food on the table. Nearly 77,000 Granite Staters enrolled in SNAP would have their benefits put at risk of being cut.