Life
After a long, strenuous battle, the Republican alternative to the Affordable Care Act has passed in the United States House of Representatives. Dubbed the American Health Care Act, the first iteration of the legislation originally made its debut in March but failed to pass due to what far-right members of the GOP believed were nagging similarities to Obamacare. Conservatives dragged it, resulting in the new version of the AHCA that could potentially strip millions of Americans of their insurance. Now that the AHCA has officially passed in the House, it will head to the Senate for debate and another round of voting. Hopefully, it will die there, but that might not be the case — and these tweets about the AHCA passing the House prove just how devastating would be for so many Americans, if it does pass the Senate as well.
The AHCA narrowly passed in the House by a slim margin this week, though that didn't stop House Republicans from celebrating. Reports indicated that they had beer brought to the Capitol to toast their "victory." But their "victory," could actually prove to be deadly to the majority of Americans. The new version of the bill would eliminate coverage for those with such "preexisting conditions" such as chronic illnesses, sexual assault, C-sections, pregnancy, and domestic abuse, among a myriad of other things.
Here are the most powerful tweets about the AHCA passing that show just how much of an impact it would have on far too many people:
The New Bill Is Literally Deadly
As many on Twitter have noted, the AHCA would potentially take away coverage from those with employee-provided health insurance, as well as those without insurance from their company.
The AHCA Doesn't Care About Women
Along with defining C-sections as "preexisting conditions," the AHCA would also defund Planned Parenthood, preventing thousands of women from receiving low-cost health care.
It Could Harm Those With Disabilities
The AHCA qualifies anxiety, ADD, AIDS/HIV, Anorexia, Arthritis, Bipolar disorder, breast cancer, heart disease, leukemia, obesity, OCD, and strokes as preexisting conditions, and the AHCA allows states to determine whether or not they'll cover those conditions.
It Doesn't Protect Minorities
Basically, the AHCA looks out for its own: white males. If you're a woman, trans, too old, or too young, you could be in danger.
The GOP Is Treating Health Care Like The Hunger Games
Survival of the fittest shouldn't be how Americans live, or die. The AHCA does just that, though, lowering the cost of insurance for the wealthy, and raising it for the elderly or sick.
Being A Women Is Basically A Pre-Existing Condition
Given the many "pre-existing conditions" that affect only female patients, it's hard to deny that the new AHCA is anything but anti-woman.
It Gives Negative Meaning To "Pre-Existing Conditions"
The exhaustive list of what the AHCA considers to be pre-existing conditions is ridiculous. There are millions of people with anxiety, and one in five college students are sexually assaulted. But the GOP doesn't care, they want to profit off of it, as evidenced by the fact that both of those things are on the list.
It Only Helps The Richest Americans
The AHCA seeks to lower the cost of insurance for the rich, as well as exempt members of Congress from losing Obamacare's most popular mandates.
The AHCA Makes Being Sick Painfully Expensive
Really, though, the AHCA would make Americans suffering from disease and health issues beyond their control pay exorbitant costs just to keep living. And that in and of itself is reprehensible.
Republicans may have celebrated the passing of the AHCA through the House this week. But for many Americans, its complete passage would be a death sentence.
