CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - Several members of New Hampshire’s Democratic congressional delegation condemned the Senate Republicans’ health care bill, calling it heartless and devastating to the state’s residents.
The Senate bill, negotiated in secret, is an effort to dismantle President Barack Obama’s health care law. Released Thursday, it would cut Medicaid, end penalties for people not buying insurance and erase tax increases on higher-income people, insurers and others.
Sen. Maggie Hassan says Senate Republicans took a bill that President Donald Trump has called “mean” and made “it even more heartless.” She complained about the bill’s deep cuts to Medicaid and its efforts to defund Planned Parenthood.
“There is no doubt that the Affordable Care Act needs to be improved, but Trumpcare would make things worse for most Americans - whether they currently get their insurance through their employer, buy it privately, buy it through the exchange or have Medicaid,” Hassan said in a statement. “I will do everything in my power to stop this devastating Trumpcare bill from ever becoming law, and I urge all Granite Staters to continue telling your stories and making your voices heard about how harmful this bill would be for you.”
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, meanwhile, says the bill “would mean less coverage for fewer people at higher costs, all while giving a tax cut to the wealthy.”
“Taken together, this is a bad deal for New Hampshire and a bad deal for the American people,” Shaheen said in a statement. “I will also continue to urge my Republican colleagues to work across the aisle to make needed fixes to the Affordable Care Act, not repeal it, so that more Americans have affordable, accessible healthcare.”
Rep. Carol Shea-Porter said she was “appalled” by the bill and said it would derail the state’s efforts to fight the opioid crisis, charge older Americans more and leave people with preexisting conditions without coverage.
“Ending Medicaid as we know it would set our state back in the fight against the heroin, fentanyl, and prescription opioid crisis and put millions of kids, seniors in nursing homes, and people with disabilities at risk of losing their care,” she said in a statement.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.