Washington, D.C. – Today, Republican leadership pulled the GOP healthcare repeal bill off the House floor minutes before a vote was going to be held on the legislation. The decision against holding a vote followed massive public opposition to the legislation and estimates from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) that the bill would eliminate coverage for 24 million Americans by 2026. Congresswoman Terri A. Sewell (D-AL) spoke in opposition to the bill during House debate.

“I opposed today’s Republican healthcare repeal legislation because it was a bad deal for Alabama and a bad deal for working families across the country,” said Rep. Sewell. “This legislation would have raised health costs, eliminated essential benefits my constituents rely on, and cut insurance for 240,000 Alabamians and another 71,000 Alabama children who depend on Medicaid. After seven years of railing against the Affordable Care Act and over sixty votes to repeal it, it is an outrage that Republicans are still not able to provide a viable alternative. Our access to care is a fundamental right, not a privilege, and I will continue to oppose any legislation that takes that right away from millions of Americans.”

“I believe America’s greatest resource is our people, and we cannot succeed if our people do not have the security that comes with knowing if a family member gets sick, treatment doesn’t have to come at the cost of financial ruin. From the creation of Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, to the GI Bill, Congress has long recognized the importance of our healthcare safety-net and has worked tirelessly to protect it. This week’s healthcare repeal effort was a disappointing abdication of that commitment. I hope that my Republican colleagues will come back to the table to work on crafting legislation that strengthens healthcare for all Americans.”

Watch Rep. Sewell’s remarks on the House floor during debate on the GOP’s healthcare repeal bill.

Based on estimates released by the non-partisan CBO, over 243,000 Alabamians were expected to lose health insurance under the healthcare repeal bill by 2026. The GOP healthcare repeal also would have decreased healthcare tax credits for Alabama individuals by an average of $7,700 and for Alabama families by an average of $16,697.

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Rep. Terri A. Sewell (D-AL) is serving her fourth term representing Alabama’s 7th Congressional district. She sits on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and was recently appointed to the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. Sewell is a Chief Deputy Whip and serves on the prestigious Steering and Policy Committee of the Democratic Caucus. She is also a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, and serves as Vice Chair of the Congressional Voting Rights Caucus, and Vice Chair of Outreach for the New Democrat Coalition.