Over the weekend, every Republican in the House voted against the clear wishes of their constituents when they voted against the American Rescue Plan. With their votes, Republicans made it more likely people get infected with the virus and less likely they get health care if they do.
Americans know that this rescue plan creates a surge in vaccines, delivers relief checks, will help schools reopen, and will make health care more affordable and accessible for people in both red states and blue states. Much like when Republicans voted to repeal health care in 2017, we believe this vote will haunt them in the months, years, and elections to come.
Congress is making the most significant reforms to health care in over a decade — to reduce cost, expand coverage, and improve care. Republicans will not be able to defend being on the wrong side of it.
CNBC – The $1.9 trillion stimulus bill would make health insurance more affordable for millions.
Every poll has shown unified, broad, bipartisan support for the American Rescue Plan across all demographics and among Democrats, independents, and Republicans.
● The New York Times finds more than 7 in 10 Americans support the American Rescue Plan including support from three quarters of independent voters, 2 in 5 Republicans and nearly all Democrats.
● CBS Poll shows Americans support the plan by 66 points (83-17%).
● Quinnipiac University found nearly 70% support (68-24%) for the American Rescue Plan including 68% support among independents and even 37% support among Republicans.
American families are struggling to stay healthy and keep safe from the pandemic while dealing with small businesses closing, jobs being lost and paychecks being cut. The worry, the damage, and the pain are being felt among Black, brown and white Americans, in rural, suburban, and urban communities.
The American Rescue Plan puts working people first, rescues the economy, dramatically improves our health care, and jumpstarts our ability to combat the pandemic.
The American Rescue Plan:
● Delivers $1400 relief checks to families who need it the most so they can pay their bills
● Surges vaccine distribution with new vaccination centers so more people can get shots in arms, businesses can reopen safely, and families can see loved ones again
● Reduces health costs by capping insurance premiums for millions of Americans so they don’t pay more than 8.5% of their income to get the health insurance they need
● Gets millions of Americans without health insurance covered by reducing costs and helping to expand Medicaid
Protect Our Care and other groups will make sure the American people know which members of the House and Senate voted in favor of vaccines, lower health care costs, and more cash in their pockets and which ones voted against it. The messaging is simple: if you are worried about your health care, Democrats have your back, and delivered on their promises, and Republicans did not.
Protect Our Care has already started grassroots and grasstops programs with local leaders, health care voices, and patient stories, and today marks the beginning of an ongoing campaign.
Americans know that it was Republican failures that got us into this COVID mess to begin with. Now, Republicans are refusing to rescue America from it. These reforms are the largest expansion of health care in over a decade, building on the success of the Affordable Care Act. Americans know that Democrats are the party of health care, and that Republicans are the party of repeal and sabotage. And, for that, Republicans will pay a price in 2022, just like they did in 2018 and 2020.
The American Rescue Plan has bipartisan support among voters and bipartisan support among elected leaders in red states and blue states. The only groups in opposition are a minority of ideologues and Republicans in Congress.
USA TODAY – ‘The need is real’: GOP mayors embrace Biden’s COVID-19 relief plan even as Republican lawmakers pan it.
WASHINGTON POST – Biden is winning Republican support for his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan. Just not in Washington.
People will see and feel real benefits from this plan — money in their pockets, savings on their health insurance premiums, more vaccines in their communities, and economic relief. Real benefits addressing real issues.
Yet, Republicans in Congress are unified against it. The last time Republicans were unified in opposition to something that had this kind of broad based public support was their opposition to health care, including protections for people with pre-existing conditions. In the end, that health care repeal helped cost them control of the House in 2018 and control of the White House and Senate in 2020.
With the American Rescue Plan, Republicans are making that same political mistake again. And, the American people will know it.
Leslie Dach is the chair of Protect Our Care and Brad Woodhouse is the executive director of Protect Our Care.