Equality California: House Healthcare Vote 'an enormous step backwards'

Los Angeles - May 4, 2017 – In response to today's vote by the U.S. House of Representatives repealing portions of the Affordable Healthcare Act, Equality California Executive Director Rick Zbur issued the following statement:

"Today, the GOP-led House voted to gut healthcare coverage for millions of Americans, a move with devastating consequences for millions of LGBTQ people who depend on the Affordable Care Act for quality, affordable healthcare. The Republican plan raises taxes on vulnerable seniors, eviscerates Medicaid, strips coverage for essential healthcare services and eliminates the ACA's mandate to cover preexisting conditions.  That move alone endangers the health and lives of people living with HIV and imperils vital coverage for transgender people.

The ACA has helped the LGBTQ community make great strides in addressing the disparities it suffers in health and wellbeing when compared to the general public. Today's vote represents an enormous step backwards. We are particularly disappointed in the votes of Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Turlock), Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista), Rep. Steve Knight (R-Lancaster), Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield), Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa), Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton), Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford) and Rep. Mimi Walters (R-Irvine) -- members of the California Congressional Delegation for whom today's vote is a badge of shame. They represent districts in which hundreds of thousands of their constituents will be harmed by their votes.

The bill now moves to the U.S. Senate, and Equality California is ready to fight in California and across the nation to preserve healthcare for the most vulnerable members of our community."

Equality California is the nation's largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization dedicated to creating a fair and just society. Our mission is to achieve and maintain full and lasting equality, acceptance and social justice for all people in our diverse LGBT communities, inside and outside of California. Our mission includes advancing the health and well-being of LGBT Californians through direct healthcare service advocacy and education. Through electoral, advocacy, education and mobilization programs, we strive to create a broad and diverse alliance of LGBT people, educators, government officials, communities of color and faith, labor, business, and social justice communities to achieve our goals. www.eqca.org