Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Judy Chu (CA2-27)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) announced she will boycott President Trump’s State of the Union Address, and instead spend the day shining a light on his administration’s devastating cuts to health care coverage and affordability.
“President Trump’s first thirteen months in office have been an utter failure, and a disaster for Americans facing an affordability crisis. He imposed sweeping tariffs that cost families $1,700 per year. He has unleashed masked federal agents to terrorize American cities like Los Angeles and Minneapolis. His signature legislative achievement is a big, ugly law that exploded the deficit with tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy while slashing health care coverage and food assistance for millions of working people. He eliminated the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits, which has resulted in a 97% increase in premiums for Covered California plans. And he’s used the presidency to enrich himself and target his political enemies,” said Rep. Chu.
“This is the reality that President Trump will refuse to acknowledge in his State of the Union address. And that is the reason why I have chosen not to attend. Instead, I am spending the day alongside my guest, Becky Roberts, one of millions of Americans whose health care coverage was made unaffordable by President Trump and Republicans”
Ms. Roberts is a resident of Virginia Beach, Virginia. She was born with a dislocated hip and has lived with mobility challenges her entire life. Although she could have relied on disability benefits, she chose to remain in the workforce, primarily at small businesses that did not offer employer-sponsored insurance. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) made coverage affordable, allowing her to secure health coverage for herself and her family. This summer, Ms. Roberts underwent surgery to correct her hip deformity and is now in physical therapy with the goal of regaining mobility. However, her ACA premium recently skyrocketed by 110% following Trump and Republicans’ elimination of the ACA enhanced premium tax credits. If she can maintain her coverage, doctors believe she could be out of her wheelchair within months; if not, she risks remaining in it permanently.
Rep. Chu invited Ms. Roberts to share her story because it is one shared by millions of Americans whose health care costs have exploded as a result of President Trump and Republican’s decision to eliminate the ACA’s enhanced premium tax credits.
“Becky Roberts is one of 22 million Americans now paying drastically higher health premiums because of Donald Trump and Republicans’ decision to end ACA enhanced premium tax credits,” Rep. Chu continued. “And that came after Republicans passed the largest cuts in history to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act last year, which ripped $1.5 trillion out of the health care system and will kick 15 million Americans – including children – off their coverage just to fund tax cuts for billionaires. I invited Ms. Roberts to the State of the Union so President Trump must face the Americans who have been forced to choose between basic necessities and health care.”
- 39,373 people in CA-28 will lose health coverage because of Republican cuts to Medicaid (also known in California as Medi-Cal) in the Big Ugly Law and Republicans’ decision to end enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits.
- 25,073 people in CA-28 will lose access to health coverage because of Republican cuts to Medicaid in the Big Ugly Law.
- 14,300 people in CA-28 will lose access to health coverage because of Republicans’ decision to end enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits and add burdensome reporting requirements.
“I will continue fighting in Congress to lower health care costs, protect our cities from Trump’s brutal immigration enforcement, and make life better and more affordable for my constituents,” finished Rep. Chu.
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