Washington, D.C. — As the Trump administration continues to threaten Americans’ health care in the federal courts and to propose deep cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security, the Center for American Progress Action Fund is releasing a new video in a social media campaign to educate Americans on what’s at stake. The campaign will tell stories of Americans such as Bill Stumpf from Dubuque, Iowa, who lives with multiple preexisting conditions and whose son, Kyle, has Down syndrome. As Bill explains in the video, the administration’s attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) without a replacement plan, and President Donald Trump breaking his central promise to not cut Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security “like every other Republican,” puts Kyle’s livelihood at risk.
“I don’t think President Trump has any intention of helping people with preexisting conditions. And I say that because he doesn’t have a plan,” says Bill. “He can talk all he wants, but there’s no plan.”
More than 20 million Americans have been able to obtain health coverage thanks to the ACA, and 135 million receive protections for preexisting conditions through the law. Despite the law’s many benefits, the Trump administration has focused on undoing it—either through congressional action or by toppling the law in the courts. Trump also promised to come up with a replacement plan if the ACA is repealed or overturned but has failed to do so. In July, after dozens of failed attempts by the Trump administration to repeal the ACA, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit heard oral arguments in the case of Texas v. Azar, a 20-state lawsuit that is seeking to overturn the entire ACA and that is backed by the Trump administration. Caught in the balance of the court fight are people such as Bill and millions of other Americans who would lose health care coverage, as well as the millions who would lose preexisting conditions protections nationwide if the Trump administration’s efforts are successful.
Under Medicaid, Kyle is able to receive on-site work coaching, which his father says has allowed Kyle to maintain a busy work schedule and stay active in their community in Dubuque. But over the next 10 years, President Trump’s budget proposal cuts $1.5 trillion from Medicaid, $25 billion from Social Security, and $845 billion from Medicare. Bill says that if the Trump administration’s efforts are successful, Kyle could lose his job.
“Kyle lights up a room. He is very active in the community. He leaves for work in the morning at 9:15. He doesn’t come home till 3 or 4 in the afternoon. He stays pretty busy. He’s doing really well, but the job coaching is crucial,” Bill says in the video. “The job coaching is covered under Medicaid. If that were to be cut, Kyle would probably lose his job.”
Bill recalls in the video how he felt watching President Trump and congressional Republicans celebrating at the White House after passing a bill to repeal the ACA—something that he says affected him deeply as a father.
“After the House of Representatives voted to repeal, it was very frustrating seeing President Trump laughing. And I took that deeply personal, as you’re laughing at me losing my health care, with no plan in place to replace it. And there’s still no plan in place to replace it, ” he says. “I believe health care is a right. I think everybody in this country should have health care. As a dad, I want to know Kyle’s able to make it in this world and is a true part of the community.”
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