Norton Says Republican Fake Attempts to Defund Obamacare and Planned Parenthood Continue Years of Targeting Health Care for Low-Income Americans

Statement

Ms. Norton. Mr. Speaker,

It's ironic that during our first sessions of the new year today, the House gets down to business with fake business--defunding Planned Parenthood and the 62nd vote to repeal Obamacare. Never mind the inevitable veto by a Democratic President--the Republican Governor of Kentucky, Matt Bevin has already vetoed his own campaign promise to repeal the Medicaid expansion. A Washington Post editorial commended Bevin for "good sense." It's also sound policy and good politics to claim federal funds that your constituents have paid for to improve the health care of half a million low-income Kentuckians.

Defunding Planned Parenthood, or federally funded health care for the 60 percent of their Medicaid patients who depend on Planned Parenthood, would have the same effect as defunding the Medicaid expansion in Kentucky. Both would take away from the neediest living in underserved communities for spiteful political reasons.

Republicans began 2016 with more of the same, by targeting medical care for the poor. Americans deserve better than the same old foolishness in the new year.

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