WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) today released the following statement in response to the House Republican bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA):

“Republicans’ plan to replace the Affordable Care Act with TrumpCare landed with a thud today, breaking just about every promise the President and his party made to families and states during the campaign.   If you’re lucky enough to be one of the millions who don’t lose health insurance coverage altogether, TrumpCare will cost more and provide less.  It cuts taxes for the very rich and makes average working Americans pay for it.  Their plan creates an age tax, with increased premiums and costs for older Americans.   Health insurance companies will ration care and limit benefits; the disabled will no longer be guaranteed care under Medicaid and you can forget the guarantee of affordable coverage for Americans with pre-existing conditions.  And TrumpCare takes a hatchet to women’s health by defunding Planned Parenthood.

“The ACA has provided coverage to 800,000 New Jerseyans, with many gaining access to insurance for the first time.  New Jerseyans enrolled in the Marketplace have saved nearly $800,000,000 on premiums thanks to the law’s tax credits, which the Republican bill repeals.  The Republican repeal plan also puts our state’s hospitals and health clinics at risk of closing and makes New Jersey sicker.

“I will fight any and all attempts by the Republicans to inflict real pain on people and families by putting a political vendetta above the health and wellbeing of New Jersey families.”