Here is a statement from Ethan Rome, executive director of Health Care for America Now (HCAN), on the Republicans’ rejection of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) announcement today that the Republican plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would add $230 billion to the federal budget deficit over 10 years and $1.2 trillion in the second decade:

“It’s only Day 2 of the Republican reign in the House, and we’re already up to our hips in double-talk and hypocrisy. Now the Republicans are rejecting the CBO’s new report that says repeal of the ACA will jack up the budget deficit by $230 billion over 10 years. There’s no promise the Republicans won’t break, no principle they won’t sacrifice and no fact they won’t ignore to let the insurance companies off the hook and strip consumers of important protections like the ban on denying care to people with pre-existing conditions.

“Republicans are trashing the nonpartisan CBO report because its numbers are inconvenient. Instead they cook up their own numbers about the ACA costing money when it really saves $1.2 trillion.

“Their reckless repeal plan will put insurance companies back in charge of our health care, restore the ‘anything-goes’ premium rate hikes that are crushing consumers and businesses and blast the federal budget deficit to the sky. The health insurance companies are certainly getting what they paid for in the 2010 elections.”

Health Care for America Now yesterday launched an online petition to urge Republicans in Congress to end this all-out assault on the Affordable Care Act, and it has already gotten nearly 40,000 signatures.

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Health Care for America Now is a national grassroots coalition of more than 1,000 organizations in 46 states representing 30 million people. HCAN led the fight over the past two years to win passage of healthreform and to keep Congress from being steamrolled by corporate special interests.

Here is a statement from Ethan Rome, executive director of Health Care for America Now (HCAN), on the opening of the 112^th Congress and the new Republican majority’s campaign to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA):

“Today, the health insurance industry got what it paid for in the 2010 elections, a Republican majority determined to let theinsurance companies off the hook and kill the new law’s strong consumer protections, such as the ban on denying sick people care. This law is already making a real difference in the lives of millions of Americans by stopping health insurers from denying care, dropping people when they’re sick and jacking up rates anytime they please. The Republicans have scheduled a fast-track repeal vote next week to satisfy their extremist Tea Party base and to pay back the health insurance companies that funded their election campaigns.

“At the same time Speaker Boehner railed sanctimoniously against ‘fast legislating’ and called for ‘allowing additional amendments and open debate,’ he was preparing to skip the usual legislative processes and rush the repeal vote. Boehner said he and his party were “humbled” by the American people, but it’s hubris that’s driving the Republicans’ reckless effort to rush a vote to give our health care back to the insurance companies.

“What do the Republicans want to replace the new law with? Nothing. They're referring that question to House committees that will deliberate for months and play political football with our lives and health.

“Repeal means letting the insurance companies run roughshod over consumers, deny our care and raise our rates with impunity. When the Republicans vote for repeal on Jan. 12, they’ll be telling seniors to pay back the $250 donut hole checks they received to help buy prescription drugs. They’ll be booting young adults off their parents’ health plans. And they’ll be taking away the American people’s newly won freedom from the fear of bankruptcy caused by crushing medical bills. We’re finally getting the insurance companies off our backs and the first thing the Republicans want to do is let them off the hook.”

Health Care for America Now today launched an online petition to urge Republicans in Congress to end their all-out assault on the Affordable Care Act.