Make them pay.
I’ll never forget the day my mom told me she had been left out to die. Before the ACA, my dad lost his job and the healthcare that came with it. Shortly thereafter, my mom, who survived breast cancer when I was five and lives with multiple sclerosis, received a letter from her insurance company telling her they wouldn’t cover her at all. At any price. She was devastated. She felt worthless. She felt that society had thrown her to the wolves for no reason. I will always remember the fear, sadness and anger in her voice on that day. She ultimately ended up on a high-risk pool, which gave her almost worthless coverage at a nearly unaffordable price, a luxury she only had because my parents saved prudently throughout their careers. Today, thanks to the ACA, she has affordable, real coverage on the exchanges. It’s not perfect, but society has emphatically decided that she isn’t worthless.
That’s hardly the world’s worst story of life before the ACA. But it’s enough to fuel me with white-hot, incandescent rage at what happened today. If you don’t know: Republicans in congress just voted to return to the world that abandoned my mom. Their evil, cruel bill will end up killing millions of Americans by effectively taking away coverage from babies, veterans and anybody who’s poor. It also makes all of us more susceptible to bankruptcy by allowing employers to adopt plans with lifetime coverage caps, something the ACA put an end to.
So, Republicans below: you are the so-called moderates who just voted to leave my mom out to die. Again. For no reason other than to give a tax cut to the wealthiest Americans and settle a political score. You are cruel, evil, hypocritical and wrong. You are bad people. You have blood on your hands. I will hold you all personally responsible for the harm your actions will cause my mom, veterans, parents of infants, disabled kids, the mentally ill, and the rest of us. I will make sure your names are known and reviled. You will never be able to show your faces in public again.
Go here to donate to the campaigns of Democrats who will oppose these monsters in 2018.
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Share your own stories and outrage by responding to this article.
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You voted to kill us. Your career is over.
Shamelessly copied from Trump Care Toolkit. Let me know if I should add others.
Hi Gabe, I voted for your mom to die from treatable diseases!
(202) 223–5765
Babies need to start taking responsibility for the health problems they’re born with. That’s not my problem.
(202) 225–3635
I believe veterans shouldn’t have affordable health care. It’s not like we owe them anything.
(202)225–2778
I wish insurance companies could charge hardworking, everyday Americans more for pre-existing conditions.
(202) 225–4211Type caption for image (optional)
I believe being raped should disqualify you from getting health coverage.
(202) 225–2976
I yearn for the days when my constituents could easily go bankrupt just because they got sick.
(202) 225–6155
Hey Gabe, my thoughts and prayers are with your mom. But my vote and wallet are with my rich donors.
(202) 225–4276
Lol, sick babies.
(202) 225–4076
These glasses make me look smarter than someone who just voted to end their career.
(202) 225–4561
Good thing bushy eyebrows aren’t a pre-existing condition!
(202) 225–6306
I forgot how fun taking away people’s health care is!
(202) 225–5661
This is my “poor kids are gonna lose their Medicaid!” smile.
(202) 225–5034
*Incoherent guttural noise*
(202) 225–7896
At least my premiums won’t go up! And you’ll pay for them if they do! Haha, suckers. Crap, am I saying this out loud?
(202) 225–2015
May preventable death visit you all in the new year! Huzzah!
(202) 225–3452
My mustache may look approachable, but behind it you’ll find only a profound lack of empathy for human beings.
(202) 225–4172
*raises eyebrow* Ooo, tax cuts for my rich friends.
(202) 225–2911
“…and I said that’s not a giant tumor, that’s my wife! Get it??”
(202) 225–5121
I voted yes just for the free Bud Light and orange slices we get after signing death warrants for millions.
(202) 225–5705
Get wrecked, America.
(202) 225–6265
I’m pretty sure I just lost my job, but at least I’m rich enough to afford insurance.
(202) 225-3906
I know my face looks like a plastic mask, but trust me, it’s the real one I use to lie to my constituents.
(202) 225–5614
Any chance you’ll buy the Appalachian trail excuse again?
(202) 225–3176
By Gabriel Stein on May 4, 2017.
Exported from Medium on October 22, 2020.