Shaheen on House Healthcare Repeal Vote: "President Trump and Republican Leadership have Recklessly Rushed Legislation Through the House That Would be Devastating to the Health and Wellbeing of New Hampshire"

(Washington, DC)—U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen delivered the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act without waiting for a non-partisan assessment on the full impact on everyday Americans:

“President Trump and Republican leadership have recklessly rushed legislation through the House that would be devastating to the health and wellbeing of New Hampshire,” said Shaheen. “This bill dramatically reduces healthcare coverage across the country, increases costs for patients, and eliminates protections that prevent insurance companies from discriminating against patients with pre-existing conditions. Under this bill, insurance companies could discriminate on a wide-range of conditions and circumstances, including history of cancer, heart disease, C-sections, postpartum depression and even being the victim of sexual assault or domestic violence. It also eliminates funding for Planned Parenthood, jeopardizing access to vital preventative care services that more than 12,000 Granite State women rely on to live healthy lives, care for their families, and lead in the workforce.

“It’s also unconscionable that, as New Hampshire battles one of the worst public health crises in our state’s history, this legislation eliminates coverage for mental health and substance misuse treatment that is critical to our response to the opioid epidemic.

“This bill profoundly demonstrates why Congress needs to work together to improve the Affordable Care Act, rather than repeal it. There’s bipartisan opposition to this disastrous repeal legislation in the Senate and I intend to work across the aisle to stop this plan in its tracks. Too many lives in New Hampshire depend on the coverage and protections that this bill eliminates.”