Taking Health Care From the Poor to Give Tax Cuts to the Rich

Tuesday, June 27

TAKING HEALTH CARE FROM THE POOR TO GIVE TAX CUTS TO THE RICH

If every American had access to healthcare, we would have stronger families, stronger communities, and a stronger America

 

Washington, DC – This afternoon, following a disastrous CBO score estimating that 22 million Americans would lose health insurance under the BCRA, the Patriotic Millionaires are encouraged by the Senate leadership’s decision to delay a vote on the bill. But this cruel and regressive bill cannot just be delayed – it must be defeated, once and for all. The BCRA and the AHCA both make massive cuts to health coverage for some of the neediest people in the US, all to pay for an equally massive tax cut for the wealthy. This battle is not over, and the Patriotic Millionaires will continue to fight against tax cuts that they do not need, especially when they come at the expense of the poor, the middle class, and the sick.

 

In Washington, DC and around the country, Patriotic Millionaires are speaking out against Congressional Republicans’ attempts to repeal and replace Obamacare. In their own words:

 

“Everyone in America agrees that our health care system is inefficient and too costly. So why skimp on the care of the vulnerable and the poor to correct these inefficiencies? It’s not their fault! The Senate bill, just as the House one before it, only squeezes the defenseless, not those who can afford to lobby for the freedom to charge whatever they want in a market that does not behave like one and never will. As a member of Patriotic Millionaires to say that I’m happy to pay a 3.8% tax on my investment income is an understatement. I’m delighted. It’s small compared with the huge emotional reward I get from saving lives,” said John Hooker, Patriotic Millionaire.

 

“Most of the time it is difficult to determine the winners and losers in a particular piece of legislation. Not this time. The Republican health care bills are very clear. The winners are the wealthiest Americans, who are already doing quite well in today’s economy. The losers are middle class and lower-income Americans, urban and rural, who now will have to struggle even more to meet their basic needs,” said Frank Patitucci, Patriotic Millionaire.

 

“This bill is the perfect poster child for the entire economic philosophy of the Republican Party, which can be nicely summarized in three words: Soak The Poor,” said David Goldschmidt, Patriotic Millionaire.

 

“A sick population diminishes our productivity, our tax base, and our strength as a nation. If every American had access to healthcare, we would have stronger families, stronger communities, and a stronger America,” said Nancy Carlston, Patriotic Millionaire.

 

The Patriotic Millionaires have aggressively lobbied for months against this disingenuous “health care reform”, which strips the most sick and vulnerable Americans of care in order to pay for a tax cut for those who need it least. Yesterday’s CBO score, predicting that 22 million Americans would lose health insurance over the next decade if this bill were to pass, only confirms what was already clear: the supporters of the BCRA and the House’s AHCA have disturbingly misplaced priorities. As wealthy Americans who would prefer living in a healthy society over yet another tax cut for millionaires, the Patriotic Millionaires have spoken out time and time again to say they neither need nor want another tax cut, especially one that comes at the expense of American lives. Their voices have been featured in outlets such as the Wisconsin Gazette, Forbes, The Tennessean, The Hill, the Lebanon Democrat, and Politicus USA.

 

To schedule an interview or for further comment, please contact Sam Quigley at sam@patrioticmillionaires.org.

 

 

 

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About the Patriotic Millionaires

 

The Patriotic Millionaires is a group of 200 high-net-worth Americans who are committed to building a more prosperous, stable, and inclusive nation. The group focuses on promoting public policy solutions that encourage political equality; guarantee a sustaining wage for working Americans; and ensure that millionaires, billionaires, and corporations pay a greater percentage of taxes. You can find out more at https://patrioticmillionaires.org/about/

 

The Patriotic Millionaires have appeared on hundreds of media outlets here and abroad, including The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the PBS NewsHour, The New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and many others. You can find more coverage at https://patrioticmillionaires.org/media