The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that 24 million more Americans will be uninsured under the new proposed American Health Care Act (ACA) by 2026 than under Obamacare.
The findings of the report oppose many of President Trump’s past promises, like the one he made in an interview with the Washington Post, just days before his inauguration,
The bill, which has faced criticism from both Republicans and Democrats, consists of the following changes
- eliminates Obamacare subsidies
- provides refundable tax credits on the basis of age & income
- repeals individual & employer mandates
- tax cuts for the rich
- defunding of planned parenthood
- per-capita cap Medicaid funding
The biggest backlash the bill faces is on to the tax cuts for the wealthy which will simultaneously result in a loss of insurance for 14 million more Americans by next year. The bill includes an $880 billion cut from federal Medicaid funds for low-income Americans along with a $600 billion tax cut for the wealthy, who will then be exempt from paying for health care subsidies. The CBO reports:
The Medicaid funding cuts are yet another promise President Trump failed to fulfill despite telling The Daily Signal in 2015, “I’m not going to cut Social Security like every other Republican and I’m not going to cut Medicare or Medicaid. Every other Republican is going to cut, and even if they wouldn’t, they don’t know what to do because they don’t know where the money is. I do.”
I was the first & only potential GOP candidate to state there will be no cuts to Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid. Huckabee copied me.
I was the first & only potential GOP candidate to state there will be no cuts to Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid. Huckabee copied me.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 7 maj 2015
Here are some reactions to the bill,
How can Republicans look their constituents in the eye and tell them their bill will kick 24 million off coverage? It’s immoral. pic.twitter.com/XzTOPYQC7P
— Nancy Pelosi (@NancyPelosi) 13 mars 2017
The reality is that the GOP bill is not a health care plan. It’s a $275 billion tax break for the wealthiest Americans. It must be defeated.
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) 13 mars 2017
Paul Ryan and Donald Trump, however, are still pushing this health care act on the basis that it’ll reduce the federal budget deficits by $337 billion.
But are tax cuts for the rich really worth the health care of the poor?
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