Thus far, things aren't looking good for Republicans in favor of the American Health Care Act, the GOP's answer to repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). President Trump spent time this week vying to win over skeptical representatives on Capitol Hill, but it looks as though his deal-making efforts might come up short on March 23, when the bill is expected to be put to a vote.
The bill is widely unpopular among the public, and it's easy to understand why.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found the repeal and replace bill would leave an estimated 24 million more people uninsured throughout the next decade — more than if Congress simply axed Obamacare altogether and left nothing in its place.
Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.
What's more, Trump's base of white "working class" voters in rural regions of the country would be disproportionately harmed by repealing provisions from Obamacare. And arguably no other state better illustrates that dilemma for the GOP than deep-red Kentucky.
Thanks to the ACA, the Bluegrass State's uninsured rate among low-income adults saw the most dramatic drop in the country between 2013 and 2015, falling 25% in just two years.
In a candid interview with MSNBC, GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky explained why he couldn't support the new health legislation. And angry phone calls played a big role.
As Massie explained below, his office received 275 calls from constituents opposed to the health bill in recent days, while just four trickled in from those in support of the new legislation.
"This is an unpopular bill," Massie explained. "Whether you’re liberal or conservative."
As Massie's "no" vote shows, calling your representatives works.
Emailing or writing a letter may send a message, but picking up the phone and dialing sends a much stronger one.
There are tons of tools to keep you in-the-know and help connect you to your reps too.Countable, for example, makes it super simple to understand which pieces of legislation are coming up around the corner, and 5 Calls provides you with phone numbers and scripts on a variety of different issues to make calling your leaders in Washington fast and easy.
Millions of Americans' access to affordable, life-saving care is on the line right now — there's a representative in Washington that could use a call from you.
