(San Francisco, CA, April 27, 2017)—Despite overwhelming opposition to previous efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, far-right Republicans in Congress have come out with a new plan to gut Affordable Care Act protections, which could be put to a vote on the floor of the House as early as Saturday
.

National Center for Lesbian Rights Executive Director Kate Kendell, Esq. issued the following statement in response:

“The latest health care repeal plan is another dangerous attempt to take both the ‘affordable’ and the ‘care’ out of the Affordable Care Act.

This repeal would leave millions of vulnerable LGBTQ community members without access to health care, permit insurance  companies to gouge anyone with a pre-existing condition, including HIV, and devastate individuals living in rural communities through steep cost increases. It would also wreak havoc on longstanding provider relationships by barring Planned Parenthood—which serves millions of women and is one of the top trans-affirming health care providers in the country—from participating in critical federal health care programs.

Lawmakers who support this repeal are catering to extremists who want to dismantle health care for all but the wealthiest while millions of lives hang in the balance.

We need to remind our lawmakers that they work for us. And we won’t allow them to play politics with our lives. Our families and communities are watching.”