Last Thurday while speaking at the joint Brady Campaign/Americans for Responsible Solutions Summit in Washington D.C. and working side by side with my gun violence prevention comrades from all across the country, I received a disturbing text.
The U.S. House had just passed a repeal to Obamacare by a vote of 217-213, effectively devastating our individual access to healthcare. Afterwards they celebrated with Bud Lights (thank you In-Bev) and a reception in the White House Rose Garden.
I had an immediate horrible ugly feeling because I, as did my friends, realized that Americans will die because of this new GOP plan.
The American Health Care Act with at least 50 pre-existing conditions including pregnancy and rape, which may not have coverage, reeks of utter meanness. Now we must depend on “thoughts and prayers” in hopes the U.S. Senate will prevent the ACHA from becoming law.
The next time someone says to me they are “not political”, I am going to simply lose it.
By not paying attention to who is on your ballot or even not bothering to vote (an estimated 90 million eligible voters did just that in November), you essentially made it much more difficult for your loved ones to stay alive.
By not knowing who represents you in Congress or in your state legislature, you just handed over all of your family medical decisions to those who care only about funding tax credits to the wealthy. If you’re a drug or insurance company who will receive huge tax breaks, oh gee, thanks. You also just made sure my family will suffer or go bankrupt trying to afford to stay alive.
By you telling me that you don’t want to talk “politics”, pay attention to the news or “we just have different views”, you are complicit. You are an accomplice to the entire GOP which has such disgust for our previous President, they are heartless enough to destroy the security of healthcare which Obamacare provides to millions.
Don’t get me started on what women will lose – the 51% of us. In case you were too busy to notice, reproductive healthcare, fertility treatments and even access to birth control, have been threatened by the GOP for years. We had over 40 dangerous anti-reproductive care bills this session alone in Missouri.
Those with money in the bank will always be able to find a doctor in some progressive state to treat what you might need but your daughter and granddaughters may not. Your D&C for a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy may not be covered under the ACHA and may not even be legal in my state by the time we’re done with session this year on May 12th. Your inability to care and those of you who voted for a sexually abusive President makes you responsible.
I am not an alarmist. My state has solidly refused the past seven years to expand Medicaid to allow over 300,000 low and middle income Missourians, including children, seniors and those with disabilities, access to healthcare access. My GOP-controlled state legislature has consistently turned away federal dollars with no remorse. Frankly, I just don't get my colleagues (who remind us daily of their Christian faith) continual “war on the poor”.
The first thing I did upon hearing the news was to check my Missouri congressional delegation votes – all six of our GOP Congressmen/women voted in favor of the ACHA. And to demonstrate further ugliness, Congresswoman Ann Wagner of suburban St. Louis, went on air to yell
“freedom!” delighting in her vote to take away healthcare access. I can’t get “Queen of Mean” out of my head. Who does this and then celebrates with your caucus afterwards with cases of beer in glee?
Many of my constituents think I work in Washington and am in Congress, even though I’ve communicated with them frequently the past 8 years as their state representative in Jefferson City. However, I know the majority of my constituents agree that funding tax credits for the wealthy is utter nonsense – that being mean just because you can to those, particularly children who need assistance of any kind, is downright immoral.
And yet, I talk with acquaintances or family members who want to sidestep the political debate and stay non-committal. They blame incessant TV presidential campaign coverage or their personal work load or a number of excuses why they remain “non-political”. They can’t be bothered to vote in local elections when many GOP extremists are elected to public office and start climbing the ladder. They remain silent as the huge national outcry against our current administration grows. They can’t be bothered because they are doing just fine.
I have news for all of you sticking your head in the sand.
You have helped hurt people by your disregard of the political system but more importantly, you hurt my family. Your own healthcare is not a permanent given and you have put my husband, kids and grandkids (every one with pre-existing conditions) – our own medical care - in grave danger.
And if you didn’t know…all kinds of people still have unlimited unchecked access to firearms but not healthcare.
Feel better?
14 comments:
Someone remind me.....what is the current percentage of Americans who have faith in their congressmen?
Repeal and replace is the only answer to the failed Obama unaffordable healthcare plan!
All but gone in Iowa, 115% premium increases in Arizona!!
When a building totally eaten up with termites, full of mold, asbestos, and diseased; you tear down, clean up and disinfect the site, then start over with a new foundation, and build a nice new clean structure
That's why we're fortunate to have President Trump and the Republican Congress to straighten things out!
Harvey Hutchinson 303-522-6622 voice&text 24/7
Instead of playing lip service to your ignorant Party before country republican fools, try to listen to the people that this will affect. They don't want it completely taken out and replaced with the tax relief for the top 1%. They want it to be worked on to make it better.
"When a building totally eaten up with termites, full of mold, asbestos, and diseased; you tear down, clean up and disinfect the site, then start over with a new foundation, and build a nice new clean structure."
You just described the corrupt republican party from the Russia House (used to be the Whitehouse) right down to the swamp that der trumpenfuhrer has as his cabinet. Emoluments clause has been ignored, rules changed to meet their rich owners needs and they have gone totally morally and ethically bankrupt. Just like der trumpenfuhrer's businesses. These fools were obstructionists for so long that they don't know how to govern. (right out of lyin' Ryans mouth.)
Tada!!
Anonymous 12:56( whoever you are)?
I described the entire corrupt Obamacare, unaffordable health card.
Iowa has none left, Arizona premiums are up 115%,
What good does that do anybody? Oh, and deductibles are $10,000 all over the place. How does middle America afford that. Access to that is meaningless!!
Harvey Hutchinson 303-522-6622 voice&text 24/7
@5:34. No, plain as the warted nose on your face, I'm talking about the republican reich wingers you voted into office. You may want to pull your brainwashed head out of where ever it is and take a look at your pathetic unethical, immoral National Enquirer trash that controls the Russia house, the senate and house. Der Trumpenfuhrer is about to go down with Flynn and the treasonous ignorance they brought with them. Now put your tinfoil hat on and go stare at the sun awhile longer.
@6:53, lol The only one's going down and possibly jail are Obama's minions, you progressive people are incredibly stupid, Trump won because the working folk and old time democrats were sick and tired of the corruption we saw over and over the past 8 years...Trump isn't going anywhere no matter how much you nut jobs fantasize about it. He's moving this country forward, jobs, getting illegals Out, you need to wake up...democrats are losing the argument with their outrageous protests, trying to kill free speech. You stand for nothing but a losing party..10 years of defeat, it's priceless for Freedom loving Americans..You made my day!
You're a breath of fresh air Harvey! And smart, like all conservatives..We have common sense something the liberals will never understand..
@6:53, who are you accusing of having a wart nose??? You've got to be a democrat, you know the so called party of nice , love everyone, tolerant...Talk about bigotry and a bully, Dang...You need a hug...You might want to switch to the party of love, charity and free speech...
Just checking in!
I'm with Harv and the wartnose conservative!
One things been bugging me about this trumpcare thing though. Why are Repubs so skeered of their shadows all of a sudden?
We will see how long Trump and his swamp continue on. The russia house is beginning to get worried about how they can't hide what they need to hide. Flynn stayed on until word became public that he was taking money from Russia and discussed the sanctions against Russia before the trumpster fire was inaugurated. Only when that became public knowledge did your so called president decide he had to fire his co-conspirator. If that information hadn't been divulged, Flynn would still be there selling whatever to Russia. You loving caring repubs tell me what would have happened if that had been the other side of the aisle that did that. You would have your white sheets over your head carrying around a noose. We are going to give them enough time and they will eventually hang themselves. You talk about being the party of love, charity and free speech? You better tell your so called president that your party stands for the alternative facts you are spewing because evidently he doesn't know it.
I like how these comments have become a long line of pots calling kettles black.
Is that the real Hugh Janus? No phone number!
These liberals like Anonymous 6:57 are all of the sudden worried about babies , when they love to give Planned Parenthood billions of federal dollars to perform abortions as late term as possible, because the body parts are more valuable when they sell them
The Trmpcard will covet babies and any congenital problem; to say otherwise is ludicrous, and the souce for this fallacy is a late night Ignorant network TV comedian.
Harvey Hutchinson 303-522-6622 voice&text 24/7
And all of a sudden you supposed religious con reich wingers give a damn about what happens to anyone other than your banker? You are really two faces of ignorance. Play your religion card when your so called president is telling the brainwashed uneducated republicans that voted for him, that are on the ACA, that they no longer have insurance, Medicare or Medicaid. See how your hypocritical lies about being religious play out then. Your so called president is showing your ludicrous ignorance. Why don't you try some morals and ethics and see if you don't catch fire.
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