Fence Sitters
No one wants to make a bad decision, especially when it comes to the federal healthcare acts currently being debated in Congress to repeal and replace ACA (Affordable Care Act), which is why there are fence sitters for the bill to repeal ACA. There are currently 28 "fence sitters" - members of Congress who have not publicly stated how they will vote on this bill. Shouldn't they tell their constituents?
While certainly not perfect, ACA secured many needed protections and assurances for people with diabetes. Unfortunately, the proposed plans to replace it will create damaging hardships for people with diabetes in the short- and long-term.
Even if you personally don't approve of ACA, the repeal and replacement of this bill is being jammed through Congress despite an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office, which stated that 14 million more people will be uninsured by 2018 under the proposed legislation. That number would jump to 21 million in 2020 and 24 million by 2026.
It is important for our community that the repeal process through reconciliation be protected - all of our community, which includes the Medicaid population. It's time to let those members of Congress who have not committed to a yea/no vote hear from their voting constituency now, as a vote can come as early as the end of the week.
Important Facts and a List of "Fence Sitters"
Assuming all Democrats vote against the legislation, GOP leaders cannot afford more than 21 defections in the House and two in the Senate. - The Hill.com
[bctt tweet="Do YOU know who is on the fence about the ACHA? They need to hear from us: http://wp.me/p7bXYc-Ss #ACA" username="DiabetesPAC"]
Who is on the fence?
There's a list of those who are "unclear or uncertain!"
These are the people who need to hear from their constituents the most, asking them to publicly announce their support (or no support) on the upcoming vote to repeal ACA using the American Health Care Act legislation.
House of Representatives
- Rep. Ken Buck (Colo.) (leaning towards no as of 3/21)
- Rep. Steve Chabot (Ohio) (leaning towards yes as of 3/21)
- Rep. Paul Cook (Calif.)
- Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (Calif.)
- Rep. Charlie Dent (Pa.)
- Rep. Scott DesJarlais (Tenn.)
- Rep. Paul Gosar (Ariz.)
- Rep. Trent Franks (Ariz.) (new uncertain as of 3/21)
- Rep. Frank LoBiondo (N.J.)
- Rep. Tom MacArthur (N.J.)
- Rep. Bruce Poliquin (Maine)
- Rep. Daniel Webster (Fla.)
- Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (Fla.) (new uncertain as of 3/21)
- Rep. Neal Dunn (Fla.) (new uncertain as of 3/19)
- Rep. Don Young (Alaska)
- Rep. Mike Johnson (La.) (new uncertain as of 3/21)
Senate
- Sen. Bill Cassidy (La.)
- Sen. Bob Corker (Tenn.)
- Sen. Tom Cotton (Ark.) - has publicly come out as against on 3/21.
- Sen. Steve Daines (Mont.)
- Sen. Jeff Flake (Ariz.)
- Sen. Cory Gardner (Colo.)
- Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.)
- Sen. James Lankford (Okla.)
- Sen. Mike Lee (Utah)
- Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.)
- Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska)
- Sen. Rob Portman (Ohio)
- Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.)
- Sen. John Thune (S.D.)
- Sen. Thom Tillis (N.C.)
- Sen. Pat Toomey (Pa.)
What You Can Do Right Now in 5 Easy Clicks!
If you have a member of Congress on the list above, it's crucial that you let them know that they must not repeal ACA until they have a better plan. NOTE: If you DON'T have a member of Congress on the list above, you're not out of the woods. Many Republicans are voting yes to repeal ACA, not understanding the implications for those in their districts and states.
- Send a message through the DPAC platform simply by clicking this link. Ask the representative to issue a public statement on how he/she will vote on the repeal.
- Call your Congressional Representative's D.C. office and tell your representative that until there is a plan that protects all voters in your state with pre-existing conditions that will be impacted by the repeal of ACA, they should not vote to approve any repeal. You can use the DPAC Scorecard to get the phone number and other important information.
- Tweet your Representative using the DPAC Scorecard. Click on the link next to your representative's name under the "Blank Tweet w/ # People With Diabetes" column. You can add your message about voting NO to repeal ACA.
- Fax your representatives using Resistbot. While not part of DPAC, you can fax your message to your representatives using a text. Text Resist to 50409 and follow the prompts to send a fax asking the representative to vote NO to repeal ACA through the American Health Care Act.
- Share this post within your social circle using the sharing links below.