Washington, DC – Health Care for America Now (HCAN), the nation’s leading grassroots health care advocacy organization, released the following statement from HCAN Executive Director Ethan Rome on House passage of Speaker John Boehner’s reckless plan for raising the debt ceiling:

“Everyone knows this plan is DOA in the Senate, so it’s shockingly irresponsible for the Speaker to waste America's time on a bad plan that’s going nowhere. Because of the Republicans’ extremism, seniors may not get their Social Security checks and our soldiers fighting two wars overseas will have to worry about whether their families back home will get their pay. This has to stop. Congress must solve this crisis in order to move on and create jobs.

“The Republicans want to slash Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security to pay for tax breaks for hedge fund managers and Big Oil, and they’re willing to wreck the economy to get their way.

“The Republicans have to decide whether they want to work with the President and the Senate to solve this crisis or continue going to any length to protect the wealthiest people and corporations in America. The GOP's fanaticism won't create a single job or help a single business keep its doors open.

“Our nation’s politics once were held together by core values about putting country above party. Today House Republicans tossed those values out the window.”

-30-

Health Care for America Now is the nation’s leading grassroots health care advocacy organization. HCAN led the fight over the past two years to win passage of health reform and to keep Congress from being steamrolled by corporate special interests.