Rep. Kihuen Slams Partisan Bill to Undermine Medicare, Sabotage Aca

Press Release

Congressman Ruben J. Kihuen released the following statement on the House vote on a bill that raises Medicare premiums on seniors, sabotages Americans who purchase health insurance on Affordable Care Act exchanges, and cuts the Prevention and Public Health Fund under the guise of reauthorizing funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program, Community Health Centers, and other public health initiatives.

"Today, Republicans launched yet another reckless attempt to undermine Medicare and sabotage the Affordable Care Act by offering a hyperpartisan bill that pits the health of children against the promises we've made to our seniors and older Americans.

Congressional Republicans already demonstrated how little they care about the millions of people who rely on the Children's Health Insurance Program and Community Health Centers when they took the unprecedented step of allowing that funding to expire on September 30th. Instead of allowing a vote on a bipartisan bill to reauthorize the Children's Health Insurance Program and Community Health Centers funding today, they forced a vote on a bill that will die in the Senate and only delay that funding even further.

Even worse, Republicans used this bill to continue their never-ending crusade to undermine Medicare and the Affordable Care Act. This bill will raise premiums for Medicare beneficiaries and break our promise to seniors. It cuts the Affordable Care Act's Prevention Fund by $6.35 billion over the next 10 years, gutting valuable health programs that help our community. It also puts more Americans who buy their insurance on the exchanges at risk of being kicked off their insurance if they miss just one monthly premium payment.

The American people are counting on us to take steps forward in improving healthcare, but the bill the House voted on today takes us backward. Enough is enough. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to send the House a bill that protects children without backtracking on the promises we've made to provide access to care for millions of older Americans."

Background:

Congressman Kihuen has been a vocal supporter of the Children's Health Insurance Program which covers 69,000 children in Nevada through Nevada Check Up and 34 percent of children in the Fourth Congressional District. He is also a supporter of the Community Health Investment, Modernization, and Excellence Act which provides a five-year extension of funding for Community Health Centers. In September, prior to the expiration of funding for these valuable programs, Congressman Kihuen called on Republican leadership to address funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program and Community Health Centers in a bipartisan manner.

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