VIDEO: https://www.facebook.com/senatortomudall/videos/10155252271282870/
WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall, spoke on the Senate floor for the fourth time to oppose TrumpCare, the bill that Senate Republicans released today to repeal the Affordable Care Act and drastically cut Medicaid. Udall stood up for the hundreds of thousands of New Mexicans who would lose coverage if this bill becomes law, and read the testimony of Elena, a University of New Mexico Law graduate, who — thanks to the Medicaid expansion — was able to have a potentially life-saving surgery that reduced her risk of breast cancer from 87 percent to less than 10 percent.
In his speech, Udall called TrumpCare a "disgrace and a disaster,” saying that "the Republican plan raids Medicaid. It strips away protections that prevent insurance companies from canceling your policy for getting sick – and reduces the services your insurer has to provide, and it does this all to pay for massive tax cuts for the wealthy."
Udall decried the secretive and closed process Senate Republicans used to draft TrumpCare — excluding everyone except corporate lobbyists, and without holding public hearings or seeking bipartisan input. Udall said that the bill is "extremely unpopular" with New Mexicans and the American people: "I’ve received over 10,000 letters, emails, and calls from New Mexicans pleading with me to help save their access to health care. Over 96 percent of my constituents who have contacted me about health care oppose Trumpcare."
Udall read the testimony of Elena, who, at 29, discovered she had an 87 percent chance of developing breast cancer. Thanks to the Medicaid expansion in Obamacare, Elena was able to afford a prophylactic mastectomy to reduce her chances of developing breast cancer to less than 10 percent— less than that of the average woman. In her testimony, Elena wrote, "I am so grateful that I qualified for Medicaid at a time in my life when I unexpectedly needed health insurance more than I could have ever anticipated."
Udall highlighted the devastating impacts that the Medicaid cuts alone in TrumpCare would have on New Mexico. "Medicaid expansion has meant that over 265,000 New Mexicans have health care coverage that they did not have before,” Udall said. "Americans support the Medicaid program. They understand that, even if they don’t need Medicaid, neighbors, friends, family may need it. And they understand that they may need it – unexpectedly, in the future – like Elena."
Udall urged his Republican colleagues to reject this bill and work with Democrats to improve the Affordable Care Act — rather than gut our health care system — to provide every American access to affordable health coverage. "I commit to Elena and to every New Mexican and American that I will work to make the ACA stronger – so that all Americans get the health care they rightly deserve,” Udall said.
[Please contact Udall's press office if you need a photo of Elena.]
The full text of Udall’s remarks is available below.
Mr. President. All across my home state of New Mexico, thousands of hard working people owe their health -- and in some cases, their lives -- to the Affordable Care Act.
Since early January -- I’ve received over 10,000 letters, emails, and calls from New Mexicans pleading with me to help save their access to health care. Over 96 percent of my constituents who have contacted me about health care oppose TrumpCare.
Let me say that again, because I think it's a very important number here — 96 percent of New Mexicans who have contacted me about health care over the past six months are opposed to TrumpCare and they're opposed to the effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
Mr. President, the TrumpCare bill is a disgrace and a disaster.
It is a disgrace that Senate Republicans are trying to force an extremely unpopular bill on the country, in one week.
They are doing this even though this bill affects one sixth of our economy. And even though it would cause hundreds of thousands of people in New Mexico – and millions of Americans – to lose access to health care, prescription drugs, drug addiction counseling, and other life-saving services.
The Republican plan raids Medicaid. It strips away protections that prevent insurance companies from canceling your policy for getting sick -- and reduces the services your insurer has to provide, and it does this all to pay for massive tax cuts for the wealthy.
Mr. President, this bill is a disaster because it would be devastating for older New Mexicans, families who are struggling to make ends meet, women, people with pre-existing conditions, and New Mexicans in rural areas. Our rural areas would be particularly hard hit. In some cases, it would cause very severe damage to the health care in rural areas.
Hospital administrators in rural counties – like Guadalupe and Socorro in my home state – have told me that losing Medicaid reimbursements could break their budgets. And that could force these small, rural hospitals to limit services – or even to close. And you know, the last thing you want to happen in a small rural community is have the hospital close, because we all know what happens after that. Hospital closes, and the diminution in services and it's very hard for communities to stay alive in that situation.
So it’s no wonder that the American people don’t want this bill. They don't want TrumpCare. And, I suppose, it’s no surprise that the Republicans have kept it hidden – without letting anyone see it.
I want to talk about that for a moment. That’s not just a talking point for Democrats.
But if this bill passes and becomes law, many people will suffer. And it has been kept a total secret.
Mr. President, I wish I could read on the Senate floor every story I’ve gotten from my constituents who are concerned. If I could, I could hold the record for longest floor speech.
I’ve shared several in the past. But today, I’d like to read just one. From Elena, from Albuquerque.This is a picture of Elena, from Albuquerque, NM. She has a very, very moving story that she wrote me about that I think, in this story, you hear the story of the Affordable Care Act and the good that it does.
Elena is 31 years old. Earlier this week, I told some of Elena’s story in a speech here on the Senate floor. But today, I want to tell Elena’s full story.
Elena graduated last year from the University of New Mexico Law School – my alma mater.
And she is quite determined and motivated, as you will hear.
She wrote her story in a Facebook post to friends -- and gave me permission to share it with the American people and with my colleagues in the Senate.
Here is her story. This is Elena's story, in Elena's words:
For the past 18 months I’ve been carrying around a big secret. I’ve felt really guilty for not sharing it, and yet -- try as I might -- I could not work up the nerve to tell you all. Lucky for me, Senator Udall has helped me to rip off the band-aid.
In spring 2016, I found out that I have a BRCA 1 mutation, which puts me at a very high risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. Women with a BRCA 1 mutation also tend to get breast and/or ovarian cancer very young. Sometimes even in their twenties or thirties.
When you have a BRCA 1 mutation, you have two options: One, you can get breast screenings every six months and yearly ovarian screenings, and keep your fingers crossed that nothing pops up. Or two, you can get your breasts and ovaries removed and significantly decrease your odds of getting cancer. Needless to say, there’s not really a “right” decision. A woman’s choice just comes down to what she feels is right for her body and life.
In the past 18 months, I’ve gotten to check a whole lot of things off my “absolutely not on my bucket list” bucket list. In April 2016, I had my first breast MRI, which revealed a lump that my doctor thought might be breast cancer. I then had my first mammogram, my first breast ultrasound, and my first breast biopsy.
These tests thankfully revealed that I didn’t have breast cancer. They also helped me to make the difficult decision to have a prophylactic mastectomy and significantly reduce my chances of getting breast cancer.
In August 2016, I had a prophylactic mastectomy. And in October and February of this year I had follow up surgeries to have my breasts reconstructed.
Since February, I’ve been focusing on healing, and I feel great.
Obviously, this isn’t the end of the road. Doctors suggest that women with a BRCA 1 mutation get their ovaries removed around age 40. And of course screening will continue to be important. But for now, I feel at peace knowing that I'm doing what I can to protect myself.
As Senator Udall mentioned, at the time that all of this health stuff came up, I had health insurance thanks to Medicaid Expansion through the ACA/Obamacare.
I first enrolled in Medicaid about three years ago when I was a law student at UNM School of Law.
UNM had just given qualifying students the opportunity to enroll in Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. I was a healthy 29 year-old with no preexisting conditions, and doubted I would ever use my health insurance. Little did I know, completing the Medicaid application would be one of the most important decisions I ever made.
So, a truly genuine, #thanksObama to President Obama, his staff and all of our elected leaders who worked to make the ACA happen and are fighting to keep it alive.
I am so grateful that I qualified for Medicaid at a time in my life when I unexpectedly needed health insurance more than I could have ever anticipated.
I am so thankful the drafters of the ACA understood that allowing me to get the preventative care I needed was better for my health, and also more financially sound. The ease with which I have received my medical coverage has allowed me to focus on my recovery.
While it has been a challenging year and a half, knowing that I could trust my health insurance made it so much easier than I’d imagined it would be.
I am so relieved that now I can focus on my future instead of figuring out how to pay off insurmountable medical debt.
I am fully recovered from my surgeries and am working on moving my life and career forward. I look forward to paying taxes (I swear, I really do) to support programs like Medicaid so that I can do my part to assist other Americans in staying healthy.
If you had told me when I signed up for Medicaid that I would make such extensive use of it, I wouldn’t have believed it. At times, I have felt guilty for having to utilize Medicaid at a time in my life that has proven to be so medically and financially complicated.
Friends and family have been good enough to remind me that this is what Medicaid is about: ensuring that Americans can afford to take care of their health, regardless of their financial state, when an issue strikes. The Affordable Care Act has made this a reality for more people than ever before; I am so grateful to be one of them.
I am very scared for what the future will bring for those many individuals who have received insurance thanks to the ACA. I worry that if the ACA is destroyed, my preexisting condition will make it financially impossible for me and many others to get health insurance.
I worry for people who couldn't get insurance through their work and were finally were able to get it through the Exchange. I worry that those who suffer from ailments that constantly affect their health won't be able to afford the care they need.
I worry about the millions of Americans who are about to lose so much.
I understand that the ACA is not perfect. It needs some work, especially for people on the exchange who are paying premiums that are way too high. But the replacement plan that is being proposed is going to make it incredibly difficult for all of us to get quality, affordable coverage.
There are no words to adequately express my gratitude to all those who worked so tirelessly to make the Affordable Care Act happen. I am so hopeful that instead of destroying the ACA, our leaders will work to make it stronger so that all Americans can get the health care they deserve.
And those are the words that Elena posted on her Facebook page, very moving, very moving words.
Mr. President, before her surgery, Elena had an 87 percent chance of developing breast cancer. And now, it’s less than 10 percent -- less than that of the average woman.
I commit to Elena and to every New Mexican and American that I will work to make the ACA stronger – so that all Americans get the health care they rightly deserve.
But the Senate Republicans cannot claim the same. Their bill -- drafted in secret behind closed doors– hurts people like Elena who have pre-existing conditions. It hurts people in her situation who have complicated healthcare needs with high medical costs, and those who benefit from the Medicaid expansion.
Americans support the Medicaid program.
They understand that – even if they don’t need Medicaid – neighbors, friends, family may need it. And they understand that they may need it – unexpectedly, in the future – like Elena.
Medicaid expansion has meant that over 265,000 New Mexicans have health care coverage that they did not have before.
Pretty remarkable thing, in 6 short years in New Mexico, after the passage of the Affordable Care Act — you had people who didn't have any health care — and now 265,000 have medicaid coverage. And they could be in a situation, just like Elena. Many of these are hard-working families, families living in rural New Mexico, and Native Americans families, living in New Mexico.
The Senate Republican bill – like the House Republican bill – will end Medicaid expansion in New Mexico for people like Elena.
Mr. President, I want everyone listening to hear: This bill cuts Medicaid overall – more deeply than the House version. And when President Trump said that the House version was a mean bill, this is a meaner bill is. They are not necessary — these cuts are meaner — and they are not necessary to repeal the Affordable Care Act. And they will hurt millions of Americans.
They are also devastating to our state economies. New Mexico can’t afford to pick up the tab for those cuts. So the state will be forced to cut services and reduce payments to doctors. Hospitals might close. And that would mean health care jobs will dry up.
Elena’s story is one of millions. Every Senator has hundreds and thousands of constituents with these stories.
We all need health care at some point in our lives.
I urge, I implore, my fellow Senators across the aisle to reject the McConnell TrumpCare bill. Work with Democrats -- on a bipartisan basis -- to improve America’s health care system to so that every American has access to affordable health care.
Don’t do this. Don’t gut our health care system.
