Post submitted by Aaron Rodriguez, former  Rapid Response Deputy Press Secretary 

Today, HRC issued the following response after House Republicans passed legislation carefully crafted to undermine the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and other vital health care programs:

“We’re extremely disappointed that some members of the House have put their own constituents in harm’s way by passing a tax bill that also threatens the health care of millions of Americans,” said David Stacy, HRC Director of Government Affairs. “If the Trump-Pence tax scam becomes law, programs crucial to the LGBTQ community like Medicare, Medicaid, global HIV & AIDS programs, and the Ryan White Care Act will surely face future efforts to cut their benefits. HRC and millions of fair-minded people continue to call on the Senate to reject this reckless and desperate attempt to score a legislative victory at the expense of everyday Americans.”

The Conference Report approved by the House repeals the ACA’s individual mandate that requires all Americans to have health insurance or pay a penalty. This provision was at the heart of the Trump-McConnell failed effort to repeal the ACA earlier this summer. Repealing the individual mandate could result in 13 million people leaving the insurance market, causing insurance premiums to soar and leave millions priced out of access to healthcare.

When Congress last considered tax reform legislation 31 years ago, they had 30 days of public hearings over six months. Then House members worked together for 10 months to produce a bipartisan package with 26 days of markup in committee. This time around, Republican leadership has allowed for a handful of hearings, limited public input, and limited time to review the hundreds of pages of tax code changes.