With the Trumpcare ball in their court, the Senate has been tasked with drafting a bill that will be much less cruel than the House’s version–which, ICYMI, would strip coverage from 23 million people, cut more than $830 billion from Medicaid, and dismantle protections for people with pre-existing conditions.
Senate Majority Leaders have put forth a couple proposals that they claim will do this. First, they’ve proposed phasing out Medicaid expansion over a longer period of time. In other words, they don’t mind kicking millions of people off Medicaid as long as it happens slowly. And second, they have proposed dropping a provision included in the House bill that would allow insurers to raise premiums for people with pre-existing conditions.
Sounds good right? Not so much. The Senate’s version of Trumpcare would still eviscerate coverage and protections for people with pre-existing conditions and create a downward spiral in benefits offered. As a new Center for American Progress report explains, even if the Senate’s version of Trumpcare doesn’t explicitly lift the ban on insurers raising premiums for people with pre-existing conditions, it would still have the effect of doing so. Get the full explanation here.
Bottom line: the Senate is holding the fate of millions of people in their hands. And, no matter how they spin it, all signs suggest they are drafting a bill as cruel as the version the House passed.
ACTION OF THE DAY
Let Us Live. Make no mistake: The Senate is hoping they can rush their version of Trumpcare through before the Fourth of July recess while no one is watching. Let them know we won’t sit by while they try to take health care away from millions of people. Check out our toolkit at TrumpcareToolkit.org for an updated whip list, sample social media, and more to make your voice heard in the fight to resist Trumpcare.
WHAT’S TRENDING
Senate Sessions. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has agreed to join the Senate Intelligence Committee tomorrow to discuss Russian hacking in the election. Reminder: in his testimony last week, Comey suggested that Sessions might have had more contact with Russia than we previously knew. It is not clear whether the hearing will be publicized, but either way, expect to hear about it.
Workforce Development Week. The Trump Administration is hoping to shift focus away from Russia and on to Ivanka who is set to lead the White House’s “workforce development week.” Few details have emerged so far about the White House’s plans, but here’s a reminder that the Trump budget undermines economic security for working families and here’s a reminder that Trump’s paid leave plan won’t work for women and families.
Off Kilter. In this week’s episode of Off Kilter, Rebecca and Jeremy walk through what we missed while all eyes were on Comey. Also in the episode, Mustafa Ali of the Hip Hop Caucus explains how communities of color and low-income people will bear the brunt of Trump’s climate denial agenda and ThinkProgress’s Ned Resnikoff explains what the Washington Post’s latest swing and miss on Social Security disability says about the mainstream media’s failure to properly report on poverty and disability. Listen here.
“Forgotten Men and Women.” That’s who Trump promised to lift up in his inaugural speech. But his proposed budget released in May reveals that his priorities lie with corporations and the 1 percent—at the expense of nearly everyone else. Join us tomorrow, along with Reps. John Yarmuth (D-KY), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Barbara Lee (D-CA), and Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) for a discussion of the human consequences of these budget cuts, what’s at stake for everyday Americans, and how to champion an agenda that works for everybody.
UNDER THE RADAR
#HonorThemWithAction. Today marks one year since the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida—the deadliest mass shooting in American history. And this Saturday, June 17th, marks two years since the Charleston shooting, when a white gunman killed nine African American churchgoers at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, the oldest black church in the South. The Pulse shooting, which targeted an LGBTQ club on Latin night, took 49 lives. In this video, some of those most impacted by the shooting discuss what we can and should do to honor the victims. Here are six things you can do today to honor them with action.
GOOD NEWS
Make Our Planet Great Again. Good news, and bad news. As a result of Trump pulling the United States out of the landmark Paris Agreement, newly-elected French President Emmanuel Macron is inviting “all responsible citizens” to take their fight to France. The invite comes via the new website Make Our Planet Great Again.