Following House Vote, Senate Democrats Hear Directly People Who Would Be Hurt by Trumpcare

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, and 12 other Senate Democrats today held a hearing featuring people from across the country who would be hurt by Trumpcare.  The hearing, entitled “America Speaks Out: The High Costs of Trumpcare for Families,” comes as Republicans have rushed through consideration of their health care bill and refused calls to hear from people whose lives would be impacted by their proposal to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act

“Health care is deeply personal to every American family.   The Republican bill would dramatically increase costs for families while taking away health care for tens of millions of Americans,” said Senator Stabenow. “All to pay for a tax cut for millionaires and billionaires. This is stunningly irresponsible!   I am very grateful to the witnesses who are speaking out today about the harm caused by the Republican bill."

“I hope that after today’s hearing, and more discussions like this, Republicans will drop once and for all their damaging, politically-motivated effort to rip apart our health care system,” said Senator Patty Murray. “Families nationwide are prepared to hold Republicans accountable for their actions if they choose to stay on this partisan, harmful path—and Democrats will be standing right along with them.”

"The hundreds of billions in Medicaid cuts and the hundreds of billions in tax breaks for the wealthy are two sides of the same destructive coin in Trumpcare,” said Senator Wyden. “To date, there's no evidence that Senate Republicans are moving away from this basic calculation. Their effort is bringing fear and pain to communities across the country. Americans will not stand for this affront to common sense and fairness."

Details on the witnesses are available below and links to their full testimony may be found below.  Video of the hearing may be found here

·         Cyndi Johnson, Bloomington, IN – Ms. Johnson’s daughter was born with Down syndrome, a preexisting condition, and was nearing her lifetime coverage limit when the Affordable Care Act was passed. Medicaid allowed Ms. Johnson and her family to begin to dig out from a mountain of medical debt and get the care they need for her daughter.  LINK TO TESTIMONY

·         Gina Walkington, Bristol, WI – Ms. Walkington used Planned Parenthood’s preventative services at age 20 when they found pre-cancerous cells on her cervix. She was able to get it treated and she credits that care with her ability to be a mom.  LINK TO TESTIMONY

·         Carol Fisher Hardaway, Salisbury, MD – Ms. Hardaway is a 63-year-old substitute teacher who has lived with multiple sclerosis since 1990.  For most of her life, her MS was manageable and she remained uninsured.  In 2013, her MS progressed significantly but she did not qualify for affordable care in Texas, which had not expanded Medicaid.  After moving to Maryland, Ms. Hardaway was able to get coverage through Medicaid and is one of 14 million Americans who benefitted because of the Medicaid expansion.  LINK TO TESTIMONY

·         Michael Dunkley, Alexandria, VA – Mr. Dunkley is a 64-year-old full-time caregiver for his wife, who has advanced MS. In 2013, shortly after being laid off, Mr. Dunkley was diagnosed with aggressive stage 4 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma but his insurance coverage through COBRA was set to expire at the end of the year.  Mr. Dunkley was able to sign up for insurance on Virginia’s marketplace that provided coverage despite his pre-existing condition.  Mr. Dunkley’s new coverage cost about half of his COBRA – only around $500 per month with a subsidy, with a zero deductible and $1,850 out-of-pocket limit.  LINK TO TESTIMONY

·         Rodney Nelson – President and CEO, Mackinac Straits Health System – St. Ignace, MI – Mr. Nelson is the President and CEO of Mackinac Straits, a small hospital system in rural northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. The hospital provides care for 1 million visitors annually as it is the only source of care for many residents in this small community. Mr. Nelson will highlight the economic threat and access issues that Trumpcare poses to rural communities and older Americans in these communities. LINK TO TESTIMONY

·         Teresa Miller – Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner – Since 2015, Teresa Miller has served of Insurance Commissioner for Pennsylvania under Governor Tom Wolf. Commissioner Miller will speak about the importance of the consumer protections in current law and the potentially devastating consequences of Trumpcare.  LINK TO TESTIMONY

Thirteen Senators, including Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), participated in the hearing.