WASHINGTON ' Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall released the following statement on House Republicans' scheduled vote on a bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The bill still has not been analyzed by the Congressional Budget Office to determine how much it would cost or exactly how many Americans would lose coverage as a result of changes to Medicaid and provisions that allow insurers to drop patients with pre-existing conditions, and it could impact those with employer plans as well.
"The House Republican health care bill is an appalling display of broken promises and misguided priorities that will take us back to the days when insurance companies could deny coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, hike prices on patients for being sick, and charge women more for essential services like maternity care. President Trump and Washington Republicans are trying to force through a vote without a single public hearing and before Americans can learn exactly how much this disastrous, politically motivated gamble will cost. And they're trying to do all of this in order to give a $600 billion tax cut to the wealthiest Americans when regular Americans are struggling, we face huge national security challenges, and significant long term federal debt.
"TrumpCare would devastate New Mexico families and our economy, canceling health care for hundreds of thousands of middle-class and low-income New Mexicans, costing nearly 32,000 jobs, and likely sending our state's already fragile economy into a full-blown recession. These disastrous policies will hurt all of us, not just those covered by the insurances exchanges. TrumpCare's Medicaid cuts alone would take away health care from at least 250,000 New Mexicans. Rural New Mexicans would be among the worst off under this bill, which could force rural hospitals to shut their doors and prevent thousands of rural New Mexicans from being able to see a local doctor.
"This bill would be a catastrophe for the country and New Mexico. If this bill'or anything like it'comes to the Senate floor, I will fight tirelessly to see that it is defeated. New Mexicans and Americans simply can't afford the disaster that is TrumpCare."