Yesterday, in a narrow 19-17 vote, the U.S. House Budget Committee voted to send the American Health Care Act (AHCA) to the floor of the House of Representatives.
The following is a statement from Steven Choi, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition:
“Yesterday, Representative John Faso had the opportunity to stand up for all New Yorkers by voting no on the American Health Care Act, a bill that would be a disaster for New Yorkers, including the millions of immigrants who now depend on the guarantee of quality, affordable health coverage that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides. Instead, Rep. Faso caved to the most extreme elements of his own party and placed the health and well-being of his constituents at risk.”
“The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 24 million people, including as many as one million New Yorkers, will lose coverage because of Speaker Ryan’s misguided proposal, which dismantles the Medicaid program as we know it. The AHCA would also decimate the financial sustainability of safety net hospitals that many immigrant New Yorkers rely on for care, cutting over $1 billion in payments in the first three years alone.”
“In Rep. Faso’s 19th Congressional District alone, nearly 162,000 New Yorkers will lose coverage and the district stands to lose $17 million a year from Medicaid funding the counties in the district currently receive through the ACA.”
“Any change or replacement to the ACA should increase the number of people covered and improve the quality and affordability of health coverage, not reduce it. The AHCA does none of these things and should be opposed by all members of the New York Congressional delegation, Rep. Faso included. He still has the opportunity to do the right thing when the bill comes to the floor of the House. We urge him to consider the well-being of constituents and vote no on the American Health Care Act.”
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The New York Immigration Coalition is an umbrella policy and advocacy organization for nearly 200 groups in New York State that work with immigrants and refugees. The NYIC aims to achieve a fairer and more just society that values the contributions of immigrants and extends opportunity to all by promoting immigrants’ full civic participation, fostering their leadership, and providing a unified voice and a vehicle for collective action for New York’s diverse immigrant communities.