While the nation lay sleeping, Senate Republicans made their first steps to withdraw hard-earned healthcare rights for millions of Americans, despite still not having an alternative plan for said rights. Yet the nation still slept.
On Thursday morning, the nation groggily received word that the bill that edged them closer to effective health care was about to be repealed. The vote, which ended just before 1:30 a.m., allows Republicans to repeal the law through a budget package, stifling all ability for the Democrats to filibuster to stop it. One by one, Democrats voiced their objections, saying that healthcare shouldn’t be reserved “for the healthy and wealthy.” The Republican majority shut them down anyway. But as always, Sen. Bernie Sanders delivered a wake-up call:
“I think it’s important for this country to know this was not a usual thing, this is a day which lays the groundwork for 30 million people to be thrown off their health insurance. And if that happens, many of these people will die,” Sanders warned the Senate.
Even some Republicans expressed doubt about repealing a law with no replacement at the ready. “We’re loading a gun here,” said Rep. Tom McArthur of New Jersey. “I want to know where it’s pointed before we start the process.”
The nation’s eyes fly open, its body covered in a cold sweat. It stares at the ceiling, paralyzed.
Trump has been promising for a while now that the law will be repealed "very quickly" and will seek to provide "insurance for everybody." However, instantly replacing a law that took two years to pass will be impossible, even with a Republican majority.
The nation slowly rolls out of bed with one question on its mind: "Now what?"
The answer is simple: take action. As American citizens, we have to use our rights every chance we've got, and now is no exception. Find your senator on this list and call them. Use this script to voice your horror at their cruel, callous, and foolish plan. To customize the number of deaths in your state in the script, use this chart.
If your senator and their staff refuses to answer, call them again. Don't stop until you get an answer. And if that answer is unsatisfactory, start a petition and share it with your friends and family. Remind Congress that their duty is to ensure the health and well-being of all Americans, not just a select few.
