Street roots., March 24, 2017, Page 4, Image 4

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Street Roots • March 24-30, 2017
P H O T O C O U R T E S Y O F REP. K U R T S C H R A D E R 'S O F F IC E
U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader - who represents Oregon’s 5th Congressional District, including most of Clackamas County and part of Multnomah County -
participates in a 27-hour debate of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee on the American Health Care Act.
I t undermines the fabric of our country'
Congressman K urt Schrader doesn’t mince words about his stance on the GOP health care bill
BY JOANNE ZUHL
Republicans insisted on voting the proposal out
child covered, and thanks to the Affordable
of the committee before the CBO released its
Care Act, their son is doing very, very well.
report.
He’s coming along and getting the treatment
fter a grueling 27-hour debate, the U.S.
But even with Republican control in the
and the therapy that he needs. And he would
House Energy and Commerce
White House, House and Senate, the GOP plan
never have had that.
Committee, chaired by Oregon’s Rep.
There are tons of issues, the cancer
Greg Walden, voted March 9 to advance the isn’t set in stone. Schrader said he and others
are
leading
the
charge
to
re-craft
the proposal
treatments that would have been totally
GOP health care plan. The vote was party-line,
unaffordable, the diabetic
with the Republican Walden praising the bill for to fix existing problems
inherent
within
the
current
management issues that
its “affordable, patient-centered reforms,” with
Affordable
Care
Act,
but
not
to
“greater flexibility, lower costs for families and
"W e "w bad s o n e ta g e people wouldn’t have had, or
gut
the
system,
as
some
GOP
greater choice for patients.”
lo w s h a lls, a thousand gotten the right counseling
members
have
suggested
they
for.
His fellow representative from Oregon,
people
1»
Salem,
6
6
0
-
do.
Democrat Rep. Kurt Schrader, was also in that
In Oregon, as a result of
plus
In
M
ilw
a
u
kie
,
a
“We
have
a
lot
of
options
left
marathon committee meeting, and his
the Medicaid expansion in
to showcase what is wrong with few hundred In
description of the American Health Care Act is
particular, coordinated care
this
thing
and
why
it
less flattering.
W oodbnr», and t h e / r e organizations are actually able
undermines
the
fabric
of
our
“Misguided,” “backward” and even “dark
to put some money aside to
a ll te rrifie d of lo sin g
country
just
when
we
thought
ages” are the words he uses to describe the
take care of some of the
th is access (to h e a lth
we
were
starting
to
be
a
proposal Republicans have served up to replace
social determinants that lead
care},
The
stories
and
country
where
health
care
was
the 2010 Affordable Care Act.
to bad health. In other words,
a
right
and
not
a
privilege,”
the fear — the fear is
The GOP’s proposal repeals the individual
they’re able to follow up with
Schrader
said.
p a lp a b le ,"
mandate/tax penalty incentive for having
their patients and make sure
At
recent
town
hall
meetings
minimum insurance coverage and caps the
y.s, owe. sort schraoer they’re taking their
and
online,
Schrader
has
asked
amount of Medicaid funding provided to states
medication, either by phone
people
who
are
worried
about
annually. It jeopardizes already fragile funding
or going to their home.
health
care
and
other
issues
to
for mental health care and directly cuts
They’re able to make sure
tell
him
their
story.
We
asked
wl
he
was
women’s health services. And it repeals
their patients can go to the grocery store, that
hearing.
funding for the Prevention and Public Health
they see their doctor. And frankly, in some
Fund, among many other changes.
cases, make sure that there’s housing for some
Kurt Schrader: I had a constituent the
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget
of the very-low-income people. Because, as we
other day whose baby was determined to have
Office reports that the plan would result in 24
all know, you can have all the greatest
some developmental issues before he was
million more people without insurance by 2020
treatment in the world, but when you’re just
born, and he would never have had health care,
than under the current plan. The House
they would never have been able to get this
S T A F F W R IT E R
A
See SCHRADER, page 5