Statement of Milly Silva, Executive Vice President of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, regarding the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) scoring of the American Health Care Act (AHCA):

The CBO score released today confirms our worst fears: the revised “American Health Care Act” is nothing more than a tax cut for the rich disguised as a health reform bill. The AHCA represents a massive theft from hard-working Americans—snatching away healthcare from 23 million people and transferring hundreds of billions of dollars out of our healthcare system. There is no doubt that New Jerseyans will become sicker and many will die if this bill becomes law. The AHCA must be scrapped in its entirety.

Today, Senate Republicans need to stop deliberating behind closed doors and engage in a real discussion with health policy experts and the American public about the future of healthcare in our country. Drafting a bill that would remake one-fifth of the nation’s economy cannot be done in secret without undermining basic democratic principles and common sense.

The healthcare workers of 1199SEIU reject, in the strongest terms, any bill that would erect barriers to Americans’ access to vital health services.

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1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest and fastest-growing healthcare union in New Jersey and nationwide. We represent over 16,000 healthcare families in New Jersey and over 400,000 total members throughout New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, Florida, and Washington, D.C. Our mission is to achieve quality care and good jobs for all.