There’s a New Health Care Bill

There’s a new health care bill, and Family Research Council President Tony Perkins wants you to know all about it.

The Obamacare Repeal Reconciliation Act, as it is known, is effectively the same legislation Congress passed in December of 2015, and which President Barack Obama vetoed. This bill, if adopted, would wipe away all aspects of the Affordable Care Act, including its many pro-abortion measures, which is why Perkins wants evangelicals to get on their phones and start calling their senators.

“Now, we finally have a president in Donald Trump who will sign this legislation!” he said in an action alert email to FRC supporters. “Like the 2015 bill, the Obamacare Repeal Reconciliation Act would repeal several key pillars of Obamacare and eliminate for one year more than $390 million (over 86 percent) of over $450 million in annual federal funding to Planned Parenthood.

“The bill would also repeal Obamacare’s premium tax credits that currently provide over $8.7 billion in annual subsidies for nearly 1,000 health care plans that cover elective abortion. This violates the principles of the Hyde Amendment, which restricts federal subsidies for elective abortion services or coverage. Most of the bill’s repeal provisions would take effect in 2020, after a two-year delay. Congress then will have time to work on a separate replace bill.”

As its name implies, the bill uses the Senate’s budgetary “reconciliation” process, meaning it can’t be filibustered. Only 50 votes are needed to begin considering the bill, and only 50 votes are needed to pass it, because Vice President Mike Pence will break any 50-50 tie.

“We cannot let Senate Republicans betray the American people by going back their promise to repeal Obamacare and defund Planned Parenthood,” Perkins added. “Please call your two U.S. Senators at (202) 224-3121 to urge them to support the ‘motion to proceed’ to the Obamacare Repeal Reconciliation Act (H.R. 1628), which would repeal Obamacare and defund Planned Parenthood, just as they successfully did in 2015.”

Click here to quickly find your senators’ phone numbers. {eoa}