Richmond, VA - New Virginia Majority issued the following statement on GOP Vote to Repeal the Affordable Care Act: “To know that I am being denied health insurance by elected officials playing politics with my life and the lives of 400,000 other Virginians who are trapped in the gap infuriates me,” said community member Keith Oliver, who has incurred over half a million dollars in medical bills due to lack of health insurance. 

“I don’t know what more it will take to put people first. I just hope they do the right thing before it’s too late.”

“The AHCA adds insult to injury for Virginians,” said Josie Mace, Policy Associate at New Virginia Majority. “If this bill passes through the Senate it will send us back to a time when insurers could discriminate against those living with preexisting conditions – charging consumers higher premiums and selling them plans that don’t meet their health needs by limiting benefits and increasing out-of-pocket costs.”

In throwing their support behind this disastrous bill, many local representatives have proven they are willing to play political games with Virginia’s health care, regardless of how many people it hurts including the thousands of Virginians with pre-existing conditions in their own district and hundreds of seniors, children and people with disabilities who depend on Medicaid.

“The President and the Republicans said their proposal would cover everybody and reduce costs. Instead, it takes health care away from at least 24 million Americans, raises costs, guts consumer protections from insurance company abuses, leaves Americans with pre-existing conditions at the whim of insurance companies, and makes radical, permanent cuts to Medicaid. The Republican repeal bill doesn’t improve America’s health care – it wrecks it.”

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New Virginia Majority builds power in working-class communities of color across the Commonwealth. We organize for racial and economic justice through large-scale political education, mobilization, and advocacy around dozens of issues. We fight for a Virginia that is just, democratic, and environmentally sustainable.