On June 22, Senate Republicans released the long-awaited draft of their proposed health care bill. While in–depth analysis of the proposed changes is still being conducted at this early stage, a few things are clear:
- A New York Times analysis published on June 22 reported that the Senate bill would “cut Medicaid deeply and end the health law’s mandate that most Americans have health insurance.” Provisions within the bill give states the option to drop many of the benefits currently required by the Affordable Care Act, including mental health treatment, emergency services and maternity care.
- At present, four ultra–conservative Senators have made their opposition to the bill public due to their belief that the bill doesn’t cut enough spending. That’s right, as bad as the draft bill is there are some Senators who are holding out to eliminate even more long-term supports and services for disabled Americans. Worse yet, there is enough time before the vote to make the even more detrimental changes that these hardline GOP members seek. Moderate Republicans (and Democratic senators as well) have remained silent on the proposals made in the Bill thus far, presumably waiting for the Congressional Budget Office to offer its assessment early next week.
- The Senate proposal, like the House bill released in May 2017, would phase out funds the federal government has provided to states as an incentive to expand Medicaid eligibility. And like the House measure, would put the entire Medicaid program on a budget, ending the open-ended entitlement that millions of disabled Americans rely on to go to work, get an education and live independently in the community.
Since the historic Olmstead decision by the Supreme Court in 1999, disabled Americans have celebrated June 22 as a rightful affirmation to our right to the same liberty and self determination our non-disabled peers get to take for granted. This year the disability community at large, and ADAPT specifically, marked the day by leading the charge to widespread national rejection of a bill that would gut Medicaid and re-institutionalize people with disabilities. Only by collectively standing firm can we will reclaim June 22 as our liberation day and the beginning of the end of what is euphemistically called the Better Care Reconciliation Act by those who seek to take our hard fought freedoms away.
“The draconian cuts to Medicaid sought by Senate Republicans would gut vital support services and restrict, if not eliminate, healthcare enrollment for millions of disabled Americans across the nation,” said Susan Henderson, Executive Director of the Berkeley-based Disability Rights and Education Defense Fund. “To people with disabilities, the GOP cuts to long-term supports and services are literally matters of life and death and will mean the difference between living independently or being warehoused in a nursing home or institution and, for some, not living at all.”
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Continue to visit, mail, call and contact your elected officials. Even if you have called or visited before it is more important than ever before to keep the pressure on. Demand that they honor the needs of their constituents. Urge friends, colleagues, advocacy groups, family members and your networks in key states and ask them to call or email Senators in their districts as well.
Even if your Senator is not on the list below it is equally important to thank elected officials who remain committed to comprehensive healthcare coverage and government accountability.
TO CONTACT YOUR SENATOR BY PHONE:
Call the Congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to speak to your Senator—simply tell operators where you live and you will be directed to your Senator’s office. Even if your elected official is not on the list below it is important to reach out and either 1. Thank them for opposing the repeal of the Affordable Care Act or 2. Urge then to vote “No” on the just released Senate GOP health care bill.
KEY STATES AND SENATORS:
State: Alabama
Name: Richard Shelby
Phone: 202-224-5744
Email: https://www.shelby.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/emailsenatorshelby
Web: https://www.shelby.senate.gov/public/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RichardShelby
Twitter: @SenShelby
State: Alaska
Name: Lisa Murkowski
Phone: 202-224-6665
Email: https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/contact/email
Web: https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SenLisaMurkowski/
Twitter: @lisamurkowski
State: Alaska
Name: Dan Sullivan
Phone: 202-224-3004
Email: https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/contact/email
Web: https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SenDanSullivan
Twitter: @SenDanSullivan
State: Arizona
Name: Jeff Flake
Phone: 202-224-4521
Email: https://www.flake.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-jeff
Web: https://www.flake.senate.gov/public/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/senatorjeffflake
Twitter: @JeffFlake
State: Colorado
Name: Cory Gardner
Phone: 202-224-5941
Email: https://www.gardner.senate.gov/contact-cory/email-cory
Web: https://www.gardner.senate.gov/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SenCoryGardner
Twitter: @sencorygardner
State: Florida
Name: Marco Rubio
Phone: 202-224-3041
Email: https://www.rubio.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact
Web: https://www.rubio.senate.gov/public/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SenatorMarcoRubio
Twitter: @SenRubioPress
State: Georgia
Name:Johnny Isakson
Phone: 202-224-3643
Web: https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/
Email: https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-me
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/isakson/
Twitter: @SenatorIsakson
State: Indiana
Name: Todd Young
Phone: 202-224-5623
Web: https://www.young.senate.gov/
Email: https://www.young.senate.gov/content/contact-senator
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SenatorToddYoung
Twitter: @sentoddyoung
State: Louisiana
Name: Bill Cassidy
Phone: 202-224-5824
Web: https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/
Email: https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/contact
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/billcassidy/
Twitter: @BillCassidy
State: Maine
Name: Susan Collins
Phone: 202-224-2523
Web: https://www.collins.senate.gov/
Email: https://www.collins.senate.gov/contact
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susancollins
Twitter: @senatorcollins
State: Missouri
Name: Roy Blunt
Phone: 202-224-5721
Web: https://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/
Email: http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-form
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SenatorBlunt
Twitter: @RoyBlunt
State: Montana
Name: Steve Daines
Phone: 202-224-2651
Web: https://www.daines.senate.gov/
Email: https://www.daines.senate.gov/connect/email-steve
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SteveDainesMT
Twitter: @stevedaines
State: Nebraska
Name: Deb Fischer
Phone: 202-224-6551
Email: http://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-deb
Web: https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/senatordebfischer
Twitter: @SenatorFischer
State: Nebraska
Name: Ben Sasse
Phone: 202-224-4224
Email: https://www.sasse.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-ben
Web: https://www.sasse.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/home
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SenatorSasse
Twitter: @BenSasse
State: Nevada
Name: Dean Heller
Phone: 202-224-6244
Email: https://www.heller.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-form
Web: https://www.heller.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/home
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SenDeanHeller/
Twitter: @SenDeanHeller
State: Ohio
Name: Rob Portman
Phone: 202-224-3353
Email: https://www.portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-form
Web: https://www.portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/home
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/senrobportman
Twitter: @senrobportman
State: Pennsylvania
Name: Pat Toomey
Phone: 202-224-4254
Email: https://www.toomey.senate.gov/?p=contact
Web: https://www.toomey.senate.gov/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/senatortoomey
Twitter: @sentoomey
State: West Virginia
Name: Shelley Moore Capito
Phone: 202-224-6472
Email: https://www.capito.senate.gov/contact/contact-shelley
Web: https://www.capito.senate.gov/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/senshelley
Twitter: @sencapito
State: Wisconsin
Name: Ron Johnson
Phone: 202-224-5323
Email: https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-the-senator
Web: https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/home
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/senronjohnson/
Twitter: @SenRonJohnson