TrumpCare is Back! Republicans put it in the Trump Tax Scam

Republican leaders in the Senate released a new Senate version of the Trump Tax Scam that includes a repeal of the individual mandate. Repealing the individual mandate, which requires that every American have health insurance or pay a penalty, was the centerpiece of the Republicans’ failed effort to pass the “skinny repeal” bill in the Senate in July. Numerous major health care groups have come out strongly against the idea of repealing the individual mandate, saying that it will lead to “a significant increase in premiums, which would in turn substantially increase the number of uninsured Americans.”

One thing is clear: the fight to stop TrumpCare is back. Here’s everything you need to know to get up to speed.

SENATE REPUBLICANS WANT TO USE THEIR TAX SCAM TO TANK INSURANCE MARKETS

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), in preparation for this possibility, prepared an analysis of what the effect of repealing the individual mandate would be on insurance markets. Their results are damning:

• 13 million Americans will lose their insurance coverage by 2027 - 4 million of them in 2019.
• Premiums would increase about 10% annually, on top of expected increases.
• Because premiums would be considerably higher, people with pre-existing conditions could be priced out of the market.

Fewer people having health insurance means Republicans will get back over $300 billion that they can use to make corporate tax cuts bigger and permanent—money that would otherwise be used to help low-income people afford their insurance coverage.

There isn’t yet a similar provision in the House bill, but the Republican Study Committee —a caucus of about 154 far-right GOP House members—has argued that it should be included. Trump has also tweeted repeatedly that he wants the Republicans to repeal the individual mandate in order to give the wealthy and corporations an even larger tax cut.

THE TRUMP TAX SCAM FIGHT IS THE HEALTH CARE FIGHT

Even before this decision, the Trump Tax Scam fight was firmly intertwined with the fight to protect our care. It eliminates critical tax deductions, such as the medical expense deduction, that low-income people use to help them afford medical care; it disincentivizes research for “orphan drugs” that can help cure or manage rare diseases; and it blows a massive hole in the deficit, which the Republicans will certainly use to justify huge cuts to Medicaid and Medicare down the line.

We know the game plan from the last time we beat them on health care. More than ever, we need massive constituent pressure on Republicans to tell them to reject the Trump Tax Scam. Use our Republican call script here and tell your MoC to vote no on giving the wealthy and corporations a massive tax cut, paid for by raising taxes on million of middle class families.