Power to Decide Decries Senate Passage of Bill that Steals Health Care From Millions to Pay for Tax Cuts for Those at the Top

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - Today, the U.S. Senate passed its version of H.R. 1, legislation that would cut funding for safety net programs and increase tax cuts for those at the highest end of the income scale. It now goes back to the House for consideration after the Senate changes. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the Senate-passed version of H.R. 1 will cause at least 12 million people to lose health insurance by 2034. This bill would cause harm to millions and result in increased barriers to health care. Specifically it would:

• Ban Medicaid funding from going to Planned Parenthood health centers for one year, leaving people who rely on Medicaid – particularly in rural or medically underserved areas – with nowhere to go for reproductive health care.
• Force the closure of clinics, which would not be able to simply reopen if funding is restored.
• Implement more Medicaid work requirements, eligibility checks and other red tape that would push working people who qualify for Medicaid off the program.

In response, Power to Decide CEO and practicing OB-GYN, Dr. Raegan McDonald-Mosley, issued the following statement:

“At a time when millions of people are struggling to pay for basic needs, including their health care, policymakers are pushing legislation that would be one of the largest transfers of wealth from everyday people struggling to make ends meet to those at the highest income levels. Many of my patients depend on Medicaid and on access to health centers that this bill would cause them to lose. As an organization that strives towards a world in which reproductive well-being is a reality for all, we condemn the Senate’s passage of H.R. 1 for pushing sexual and reproductive health care even farther out of reach for people in our communities who already face far too many barriers to quality care and services.

“With its huge cuts to Medicaid and “defunding” Planned Parenthood language, the bill strips health coverage for millions and specifically eliminates access to contraception, STI testing and treatment, cancer screenings and other important and life-saving forms of care for those depending on Planned Parenthood health centers.

“This bill pushes us deeply in the wrong direction and goes against what people want, need and deserve. Poll after poll shows how deeply unpopular this legislation is. In fact, 61% of voters believe that policymakers should make accessing contraception easier, not harder. If signed into law, H.R. 1 would do just the opposite. We call on members of the House of Representatives to unequivocally reject H.R. 1, and protect access to health care for their constituents.”

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Power to Decide is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to advance sexual and reproductive well-being for all by providing trusted information, expanding access to quality services, and catalyzing culture change.