[Excerpt] On behalf of the AFL-CIO, I urge you to vote against legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act and against H. Res, 9, a symbol of Republican support for the status quo masquerading as reform

Samuel, William

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Labor Unions Key Workplace Documents 
1-18-2011 
Legislative Alert: Affordable Care Act (H.R. 9) 
William Samuel 
AFL-CIO 
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Legislative Alert: Affordable Care Act (H.R. 9) 
Abstract 
[Excerpt] On behalf of the AFL-CIO, I urge you to vote against legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act 
and against H. Res, 9, a symbol of Republican support for the status quo masquerading as reform. 
Keywords 
AFL-CIO, Legislative Alert, Affordable Care Act, H.R. 9 
Comments 
Suggested Citation 
Samuel, W. (2011, January 18). Legislative Alert: Affordable Care Act (H.R. 9). Washington, DC: AFL-CIO. 
Required Publisher Statement 
Copyright by the AFL-CIO. Document posted with special permission by the copyright holder. 
This article is available at DigitalCommons@ILR: https://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/laborunions/125 
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR AND CONGRESS OF INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATIONS 
-fffl iMWei^ s i s SIXTEENTH STREET, N.W. RICHARD L. TRUMKA 
W A S H I N G T O N . D .C . 2 0 0 0 6 PRESIDENT 
ELIZABETH H. SHyLER 
mmmmmmmmmm mm urn wmmmmmmmmm SECRETARY-TREASURER 
* ARLENE HOLT BAKER 
EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT (202) 637 -5057 
January 18, 2011 
Dear Representative: 
On behalf of the AFL-CIO, I urge you to vote against legislation to repeal the 
Affordable Care Act and against H. Res, 9, a symbol of Republican support for the status 
quo masquerading as reform. 
Make no mistake, a vote for repeal is also a vote to deny health insurance to 32 
million Americans. It is a vote to end dozens of new benefits, including a provision that 
would save 3.4 million seniors thousands of dollars annually on prescription drug costs, 
and another provision that would help 4,500 health plans across the country maintain 
affordable coverage for early retirees. And it is a vote to roll back important protections 
against the worst insurance company abuses, such as denying coverage to people with 
pre-existing conditions. 
A vote for repeal is also a vote to make over 1.2 million young adults lose their 
coverage through their parents' health plan. It is a vote to significantly increase drug 
prices for 2.7 million seniors. And it is a vote to eliminate free preventive services for 44 
million seniors. 
If Congress repeals reform, insurers would no longer have to spend at least 80-85 
percent of premium dollars on health care rather than on CEO salaries, bonuses, and 
corporate profits. Over 165 million Americans with private coverage would once again 
face lifetime limits. And over 15 million people would be at risk of losing their insurance 
when they need it most because of a simple mistake on an application. 
Finally, a vote for repeal is a vote to increase the budget deficit by $230 billion 
over 10 years and by $1.2 trillion over its second decade, as demonstrated by a recent 
report by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). 
The $250 million spent by the Chamber of Commerce and other opponents of 
reform has been very effective in sowing confusing and misinformation among the 
public, but Americans are starting to realize how many good things are in the Affordable 
Care Act and how much they would be giving up if reform were repealed. 
The Affordable Care Act was an historic achievement that should be celebrated 
and built upon, not destroyed. The ACA represents an historic shift of power away from 
the insurance companies to working families. And it promises millions of Americans 
freedom from the fear of losing their insurance. The people who would benefit from 
repeal are big insurance companies, not working families. 
Despite assertions to the contrary. House Republicans have not offered any-
credible alternative to replace health reform. Instead of focusing on the need to create 
jobs and strengthen the middle class, House Republicans have offered H. Res. 9, a 
cynical charade meant to convince working families that they support the goals of reform. 
But their steadfast refusal to take on either the big insurance companies or employers5 
resistance to providing a decent package of health benefits for their workers make H. Res. 
9 an empty promise. 
We urge you to vote for reform, for lower health care costs, for filling the 
Medicare donut hole, for health coverage for early retirees, for reining in insurance 
company abuses, for free preventive care, and for reducing the deficit by voting against 
H. Res. 9 and against repeal. 
Sincerely, 
William Samuel, Director 
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT 


Legislative Alert: Affordable Care Act (H.R. 9)

[Excerpt] On behalf of the AFL-CIO, I urge you to vote against legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act and against H. Res, 9, a symbol of Republican support for the status quo masquerading as reform.Legislative_Alert_Affordable_Care_ActOCR.pdf: 13 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020

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