After voting for the Republican health care plan that will force seniors to pay an age tax and gut protections for preexisting conditions like asthma, cancer, and diabetes, Congressman Mike Kelly celebrated in the Rose Garden. The bill, which is opposed by health care groups like the AARP, March of Dimes, American Cancer Society, and the National Disability Rights Network, will cost Pennsylvania 85,000 jobs. Even President Trump called it “mean, mean, mean.”
Ahead of tonight’s tele-town hall, here are 5 questions Congressman Kelly must answer about his support for this disastrous bill:
-
Was voting to force older Pennsylvanians to pay an age tax for their health care worth celebrating?
-
When asked about voting to gut protections for preexisting conditions, you called it “a business decision.” Do you owe the hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians with preexisting conditions who fear losing coverage a better explanation for your actions?
-
How do you explain your vote to the 85,000 Pennsylvanians who could lose their jobs if the AHCA becomes law?
-
The AHCA’s Medicaid cuts will shift nearly $16 billion in costs onto Pennsylvania taxpayers. Would you support raising taxes to pay for the unfunded mandate? If not, which development, infrastructure, educational, or entitlement programs would you cut to make up the difference?
-
The AHCA cuts Medicaid funding by $834 billion, dramatically reducing necessary resources to combat the opioid epidemic. How do you explain to the 175,000 Pennsylvanians receiving substance use-disorder services through Medicaid your vote to slash funding, potentially costing them their insurance?