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Sen. Portman’s Constituents Hold “Die In,” Speak Out Against
Threats to Health Care Coverage in Ohio
Special to The Truth
On Friday, June 23,
Ohioans rallied outside Senator Rob Portman’s Toledo office
to voice their concerns about the Senate version of the
American Health Care Act (AHCA) which was partially revealed
last week – a bill Sen. Portman and his colleagues are
expected to vote on this week with no public hearings or
bipartisan discussion.
This rally and “die-in”
are part of a state-wide effort by Indivisible and Action
Together groups to target Sen. Portman’s offices across Ohio
and force him to confront the devastating effects the AHCA
would have on the lives of his constituents.
Information is still
forthcoming about the effects of the Senate draft currently
being discussed; the CBO score released for the House Bill
which was passed in May showed that in Ohio alone, over
539,000 people would lose their health insurance coverage
under the AHCA, with those most affected being those who are
elderly, pregnant, or living in poverty.
An extended phase out of
funding for the ACA’s Medicaid expansion, a policy Portman
has voiced support for, would devastate Ohio’s most
vulnerable citizens, many of whom are victims of the state’s
opioid crisis. The Senate bill proposes a longer time frame
for the phase-out but, in the end, even deeper cuts than the
House version.
Further, Cleveland.com
reported that 81,000 Ohio healthcare jobs over the next five
years are at risk if the AHCA passes. With so many families’
health care and livelihoods on the line, the groups demanded
that Sen. Portman ensure that the Ohio residents he
represents will not lose quality, affordable coverage.
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