“Injustice Delayed is Not Injustice Denied”

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), Ranking Democrat on the House Ways and Means Tax Policy Subcommittee, issued the following statement after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that the Senate vote on the Republican health care repeal bill would be delayed until after the July 4 congressional recess. Rep. Doggett said:

"Injustice delayed is not injustice denied. We must keep working together, telling the stories of our many neighbors who will be harmed, and resisting this travesty every day, in every nonviolent way. This sorry repeal bill was hatched in darkness, but like mold, the more it is exposed to the light of day, the less likely it will be imposed on us. We must remain fully engaged."

The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) yesterday released its cost estimate of the Senate Republicans' "Better Care Reconciliation Act." It estimated that under the bill, 22 million more people will become uninsured in 2026, and Medicaid spending would reduce by $772 billion. The CBO also previously estimated that the House Republicans' so-called "American Health Care Act" would cause 23 more million people to become uninsured, cut Medicaid by $834 billion, and give more than $600 billion in tax breaks to high-income households, drug companies, and insurers.

The Republicans' health care repeal bills are opposed by nearly all health care professional, disease advocacy, and consumer protection groups, including the American Medical Association, American Hospital Association, American Cancer Society, Children's Hospital Association, and AARP. Stories of constituents who would lose under the Republican repeal plan are available upon request.