Women’s Group: GOP Health Care Vote is “a Declaration of War on Women”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, May 4, 2017
CONTACT: Yasmina Dardari | 407-922-8149 | yasmina@unbendablemedia.com
UltraViolet: GOP Health Care Bill is “a Declaration of War on Women”
Moments ago, the House of Representatives passed the American Health Care Act. In reaction to the bill’s passage, Shaunna Thomas, co-founder of UltraViolet, a leading women’s advocacy organization, issued the following statement:
“Make no mistake: Today’s vote is a declaration of war on women. Under the American Health Care Act, surviving sexual assault and domestic violence will be considered pre-existing conditions. Today’s vote by Republicans sends a cynical message to survivors of rape and gender-based violence: ‘You’re on your own.’
“With today’s vote, Republicans are one step closer to taking women back to a time before reproductive health care access and affordable health care coverage.
“The American Health Care Act will quite literally cost hundreds of thousands of women their lives, by eliminating guaranteed coverage of life-saving cervical and breast cancer screenings, abolishing comprehensive maternity care and domestic violence screenings, ‘defunding’ Planned Parenthood, and limiting women’s access to birth control and emergency contraception. For women and their families, the benefits provided by the Affordable Care Act are an indispensable lifeline that have allowed them to safeguard their health and plan their families to secure their economic prosperity.
“But the GOP healthcare plan is more than just an assault on women, it is the beginnings of a serious national healthcare crisis—one which will cut off millions of Americans from health insurance coverage. The Republican American Health Care Act will make it impossible for states to continue Medicaid expansion and sets the stage for deep cuts to medicaid funding for seniors, low-income families, and children. The plan would increase healthcare costs, make coverage less affordable for all Americans, and spell disaster for those with pre-existing conditions—giving the wealthiest tax-cut bonuses while the average American suffers.
“Today’s Republican-backed vote represents a cynical disregard for low-income people, women, and all Americans with medical conditions who cannot afford to lose their health coverage—and we will work to defeat this bill in the Senate.”
To read stories from UltraViolet members who rely on the Affordable Care Act for health insurance coverage, click here: http://cantaffordtolose.com. Each poster is available to talk to media about their story.
For more information, or for interview with UltraViolet, please contact Yasmina Dardari at 407-922-8149 or by email at yasmina@unbendablemedia.com
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UltraViolet is an online community of over 1,000,000 women and men who want to take collective action to expose and fight sexism in the public sector, private sector and the media. Find out more at WeAreUltraViolet.org