My Public Comment On Graham-Cassidy

I don’t usually post on the weekend, but I wanted to make sure to get the word out.  There’s still time – until 9:00 a.m. (eastern) on Monday morning, September 25, 2017 – to submit a public comment in opposition of the Graham-Cassidy bill.  Below is the comment that I sent to the Senate Finance Committee on Friday morning regarding the bill.

If you’d like to submit a comment, email GCHcomments@finance.senate.gov.   

We must fight for the right for healthcare, especially for the most vulnerable among us.

I am one of millions of Americans with a pre-existing condition.  And based on what I’ve read, I could see insurance premiums that would cost me more than I earn in six months. 

Graham-Cassidy would effectively destroy my life and make it worse than just living with multiple pre-existing conditions. 

Our society is built on the idea of the American Dream.  Not only would Graham-Cassidy destroy my life, it would destroy my dreams.  I have a PhD, and yet, I won’t be able to afford food or rent, and definitely won’t be able to afford the medications I need.  If I won’t be able to afford my medication, I won’t physically be able to work. And I know that our government will make it impossible for me to get disability benefits if I can’t work. And if I die, I know the government won’t pay for my funeral. 

So basically, you are throwing the baby out with the bath water.  You are taking a leaking ceiling and rather than fixing the leak, you are tearing down the whole house. Does that make any sense?  Didn’t think so.  And neither does this bill. 

As politicians, you have power.  And with that power, comes responsibility.  So voting for a terrible bill simply because of campaign promises to “repeal and replace”, and following through on those promises at any cost, is an abuse of power and dereliction of duty.  Replacing something good with something that is far worse is simply not an option.  It shouldn’t even be on the table. 

The productivity that this country will lose for all of us who become too sick to work without having the necessary coverage we need to function, will be profound. 

And it profoundly saddens me that to make yourself feel better, you will potentially hurt and/or kill millions of people. 

So please, if you believe in the American Dream, if you believe that America can and should be a positive example for the rest of the world, and if you want to use your power for good, vote no on Graham-Cassidy.  The ACA is not perfect, but Graham-Cassidy is much, much worse. 

I didn’t ask to be sick.  It’s not something I planned on happening at age 22.  And I have been fighting for nearly a decade to live.  Graham-Cassidy calls all of that into question. 

I hope that you will not turn your back on the millions of people that aren’t hurting you by needing healthcare, but will be very hurt by not having it.  

Where is our humanity?  What happened to empathy and compassion?  Please stop and prove that all of these things still exist in our government today.