Today, Congresswoman Terri Sewell issued the following statement after voting against the so-called “Restoring Americans’ Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act”:

“The Restoring Americans’ Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act is House Republicans’ 62^nd attempt to undermine or repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). We cannot afford to waste time on a bill that is destined for a veto, particularly when there are much more pressing issues facing our great nation.

 “This bill is designed to take health insurance from 22 million uninsured Americans. It would cut the subsidies provided to low and middle income Americans living with diabetes and other diseases. Among its most dangerous provisions is a measure to repeal the Medicaid expansion. Alabama has yet to expand its Medicaid program, and my constituents are among those who have been hardest hit by state lawmakers’ inactions.

“To add insult to injury, the bill would restrict access to family planning, wellness exams, and life-saving cancer screenings from millions of American women. This issue is very personal to my constituents, particularly those who have to drive through two counties to deliver a baby. For women in Sumter County, that’s as far as Tuscaloosa, which is an hour away.

“Before passage of the ACA, we were spending more money per patient than any country in the world. Under the law, health care prices have grown at the slowest rate in 50 years.  While the Affordable Care Act is not perfect, there are millions of Americans who now have access to quality healthcare and are leading healthier lives because of it. In this New Year, Congress should resolve to find solutions that benefit all Americans, not just the privileged few.”

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