FAILURE OF ACA REPEAL IN U.S. HOUSE SHIFTS FOCUS BACK TO STATES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 25th, 2017
Contact: John Ray Clemmons
Cell Phone: 615-415-4086

FAILURE OF ACA REPEAL IN U.S. HOUSE SHIFTS FOCUS BACK TO STATES

Time to make health care law work for TN families
Nashville, TN – Yesterday afternoon Republican leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives pulled their legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Congressional Republicans have taken dozens of votes over the years to repeal the ACA, offering no alternative. Now, with full control of the federal government, they have failed to even get their hastily drafted alternative to the floor.

State Representative John Ray Clemmons issued the following statement in response:
The House Republicans’ failure to pass their ill-conceived and hastily crafted repeal of the Affordable Care Act today is a success for the millions who rely on the landmark law’s vital coverage provisions. Republicans’ so-called replacement would have been devastating for 24 million Americans and countless Tennesseans. The failure to even get a bill to the floor is not only a reflection of Republicans’ chronic inability to govern, but also evidences the significant impact of an active citizenry who let its voice be heard.

While today’s developments were a victory for Tennessee families, those of us serving in state government must consider this a wakeup call. It is time for a renewed effort to expand Medicaid in our state and for all of us to roll up our sleeves and make the ACA work for Tennessee families. For years now, our state under Governor Haslam’s failed leadership has breached its duty to appropriately regulate the insurance market and failed to do what is necessary to make the Affordable Care Act work. It is by no means a perfect law, but rather than standing idly by and purposefully allowing it to fail, creating the current health care crisis in which we find ourselves, state officials must begin doing everything we can to make the ACA work for Tennessee’s working families.
Ensuring access to quality, affordable health care must be our priority, and we must work towards this end in unity for the remainder of this legislative session. For my part, I will continue to push forward with my much-need mental health parity legislation in the coming weeks.