Washington, D.C. — A new video relays the personal challenges of Sara Kissling, a native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Kissling was suddenly diagnosed with stage-five kidney failure after believing she was only suffering from symptoms of anemia. As Kissling explains, Rep. Rod Blum’s (R-IA) vote to repeal health care protections and his ongoing efforts to do so have put her and other Iowans with pre-existing conditions at risk.
Watch the video on Twitter.
Watch the video on YouTube.
Sara believes that members of Congress who are trying to repeal health care protections are hurting people in their communities. As she states in the video, “I think what motivates Republicans in Congress right now is basically just money. The bottom line is not money, it’s human lives.”
The video is part of an ongoing effort by the Center for American Progress Action Fund to provide a platform for real Americans who are being negatively affected by the Republican Party’s donor-driven agenda.
Unfortunately, this story is familiar to many Iowans. Across Iowa, thousands of people depend on Medicaid and the private insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). According to an analysis by the Center for American Progress, nearly 318,300 working-age people in Iowa’s 1st District live with pre-existing conditions.
Rep. Blum has long promised to repeal the ACA and voted to do so in 2017. As part of last year’s Republican tax bill, he also voted to repeal the individual mandate, which is estimated to cause premiums to be as much as $1,446 higher than they otherwise would be for Iowans. According to an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office, nearly 146,900 Iowans will lose their health care and pre-existing condition protections if the ACA is repealed in the future.
For more information on this topic or to talk to an expert, please contact Jesse Lee at [email protected] or 202.741.6350.
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The Center for American Progress Action Fund is the sister advocacy organization of the Center for American Progress. The Action Fund transforms progressive ideas into policy through rapid response communications, legislative action, grassroots organizing and advocacy, and partnerships with other progressive leaders throughout the country and the world. The Action Fund is also the home of the Progress Report.