SHAME ON THE NEW JERSEY'S HOUSE REPUBLICANS THAT PUT PARTY LOYALTY BEFORE CONSTITUENTS' NEEDS

Trenton – Today, New Jersey Democratic State Committee Chair John Currie released the following statement after congressional Republicans forced a vote to take away health insurance from millions of Americans and raise premiums on the elderly:

"Trump's Republicans decided to raise premiums on older Americans and undermine coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, while exempting themselves. To say that this is disappointing would be an understatement. The legislative process is not a political game. The bill that passed the House will have a painful effect on hard-working New Jersey families if it becomes law. The consequences could, literally, be deadly. And, although Congressmen MacArthur and Frelinghuysen are particularly deserving of condemnation for putting the wishes of Donald Trump and Paul Ryan before their constituents' needs, it is not like New Jersey’s House Republicans were courageous. Voters will remember their broken promises next November.”

Background

• The new bill is, effectively, the old bill made worse, as it appears to allow states to opt-out of protecting Americans who have pre-existing conditions like diabetes, asthma, and others. Non-partisan groups like the American Medical Association and AARP announced their opposition to it.
• Today's vote violated one of the key components of Republicans’ “Pledge to America:” the Three-Day Rule -- a rule that promised that the text of legislation would be published "online for at least three days before coming up for a vote."
• The first time Republicans in Congress tried to push this bill through, the bill had a dismal approval 17 percent rating, comparable to that of New Jersey's disgraced governor, Chris Christie.

President Obama's Weekly Address 8/1/15: Celebrating Fifty Years of Medicare and Medicaid

WASHINGTON, DC — In this week's address, the President celebrated the fiftieth birthdays of Medicare and Medicaid, which together have allowed millions to live longer and better lives. These programs are a promise that if we work hard, and play by the rules, we’ll be rewarded with a basic measure of dignity, security, and the freedom to live our lives as we want. Every American deserves the sense of safety and security that comes with health insurance. That’s why the President signed the Affordable Care Act, and that’s why he will continue to work to ensure that Medicare and Medicaid, programs that are fundamental to our way of life, stay strong.