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Jan 19, 2011

To Gosar, Quayle, Schweikert: Help Arizonans, not insurance companies

PHOENIX - Today, Republicans in Congress are voting to repeal the Affordable Care Act. By supporting repeal, Arizona freshmen Reps. Paul Gosar, Ben Quayle and David Schweikert are kicking off their congressional careers by voting against the well-being of the Arizonans they represent.

"Health care isn't about political gamesmanship, it's about quality of life and fiscal responsibility," said Luis Heredia, Arizona Democratic Party executive director. "And it's about putting people in control rather than insurance companies. These congressmen should be siding with the people of Arizona."

In Arizona, here's who would be hurt if Gosar, Quayle and Schweikert were to succeed:

* Seniors would face the return of Medicare coverage "donut holes."

* Children with pre-existing conditions would be at the mercy of unrestricted insurance companies.

* Parents would once again struggle to secure insurance for their young-adult children.

* Women could be denied health insurance because they are pregnant.

* Small-business owners would lose tax credits to provide coverage to employees, and the cost of offering employer-based health insurance could jump over the long-term.

So who would be helped by this repeal? Insurance companies.

Insurance companies would be free once again to impose sudden, unreasonable rate increases. They would be free once again to drop people from their health insurance the moment they get sick. And even though the bipartisan Congressional Budget Office found that repeal would add $230 billion in 10 years onto the federal deficit -- pushing more debt onto the American people -- insurance companies would continue to pocket staggering profits.

"Families and small businesses across Arizona are benefiting every day from the Affordable Care Act," Heredia said. "It's wrong to take away the freedoms they've gained from this law. It's wrong to punish hard-working people but reward rich CEOs and corporations. These congressmen have a responsibility to work for 'We the people,' and they need to be held accountable."

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