Sister Simone: Republican's
Trumpcare Plan Is Opposite of 'Pro-Life'
"People will lose their
lives if this bill becomes law."
Writing in The
Hill on Monday, anti-poverty crusader Sister Simone Campbell took Senate
Republicans to task regarding their healthcare bill—and the implications it has
for millions of Americans, particularly women and children.
As the executive director of
NETWORK, the Catholic social justice lobbying group, Sister Simone has been a
vocal advocate for the expansion of health coverage for Americans and for
ending income inequality. While many in Washington see healthcare as a
controversial issue, for Sister Simone, it couldn't be more simple. For her,
she writes, "it boils down to making sure that as many people as possible
have access to life-saving healthcare coverage."
Sister Simone has gained a
progressive following—and drawn ire from the Catholic Church—for her staunch
support of abortion rights. But today she repeated her belief that a pro-life
agenda must prioritize the lives of American women and families, not just
unborn children.
"...As Senate Republicans
seek to rush through a plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act in the most
secretive manner, I want to call their bluff on their proclaimed pro-life
stance...The House and Senate healthcare proposals are the antithesis of a
pro-life stance and needs to be named as such. People will lose their lives if
this bill becomes law."
Economists estimate
that between 15 million and 22 million Americans could lose health coverage if
the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BRCA) passes. Many of those who would lose
care are those who rely on Medicaid, which was expanded in 31 states under the
Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. As Sister Simone writes,
"This bill preys on the
most vulnerable!...Medicaid dollars benefit seniors residing in nursing homes,
including many Catholic Sisters who have served their entire lives tending to
the most vulnerable. It also affects people with disabilities, whose care can
be too expensive for a family to manage. But, Republican efforts to cut
Medicaid funding arbitrarily will jeopardize their lives and wellbeing."
Sister Simone's opposition to
the bill stands in stark contrast to the lawmakers who authored it; the BRCA
was written in closed-door sessions attended by just 13 Republicans—all of them
male. She writes that myriad women's healthcare needs, including childbirth, appear
to have been almost wholly ignored by the GOP.
"...what many don’t know
is that 45 percent of births in the United States are paid for by Medicaid. The
Senate bill ends Medicaid as we know it, and as a result these
"pro-life" members of Congress are actually disregarding the needs of
moms and their newborn children. Supporting Medicaid funding is a pro-life
stance."
Supporters of the Affordable
Care Act are putting pressure on Republican senators this week, urging them not
to support the new bill. The GOP can only afford to lose two votes for the
BRCA, and Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, and
Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia are among the so-called moderate
Republicans who could vote against it. While 13 men were tasked with writing a
bill that could jeopardize women's healthcare, Sister Simone Campbell is one of
many progressives who are waiting to see if Republican women will do anything
to block the legislation.
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