ICYMI: Daines Admits Health Care He Voted Against is Critical for Rural Communities
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, April 24, 2020
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press@montanademocrats.org
ICYMI: Daines Admits Health Care He Voted Against is Critical for Rural Communities
After repeatedly voting against the health care law, Daines concedes “Without access to affordable health care, it’s very difficult to live in Montana
Helena, MT – Senator Steve Daines in a Facebook town hall yesterday admitted that “it’s very difficult to live in Montana” without “access to affordable health care” and that rural health care facilities are essential to the survival of the communities they support. Here’s the catch — Daines has repeatedly voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act and gut Medicaid expansion, which has been a lifeline for rural hospitals in Montana.
“Senator Daines finally admitted how important access to affordable health care is for Montana — but if Senator Daines had had his way, our rural hospitals would be left without the support they need to stay afloat,” said MDP Executive Director Sandi Luckey. “Daines’ empty support for rural health care is just his latest effort to mislead Montanans on where he stands.”
Highlights:
The Montana Post: Steve Daines Admits Healthcare He’s Voted Against is Critical for Montana’s Rural Communities
By: Don Pogreba
“In the latest of his scripted Facebook Live meetings with Montana voters, Senator Steve Daines admitted (about the 7:45 mark) that ‘without access to affordable health care, it’s very difficult to live in Montana’ right after admitting that healthcare facilities in our rural communities are essential to the survival of those small towns and the people who live in them.”
“There’s just one catch: Daines has repeatedly voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act that has kept many of those hospitals operating and that has provided health insurance for over 100,000 Montanans.”
“Daines has repeatedly voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act. He voted for a total repeal in 2013, to repeal Medicaid expansion in 2015, to repeal with no replacement in 2017, and for the Republican Better Care Reconciliation Act that would have eliminated Medicaid expansion and taken coverage from 15 million Americans in 2017.
“Daines even said that he would vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act if Congress did not replace it at all: no provisions for rural hospitals, no subsidies for working families, and no protections for people with pre-existing conditions.”
“We’re lucky in Montana that leaders like Jon Tester and Steve Bullock fought for healthcare for rural Montanans. Just think about how dishonest Daines has to be to campaign on the value of rural hospitals he repeatedly voted to shutter and just think about how dangerous the COVID-19 crisis would be for Montanans if Daines had gotten his way any of the five times he voted against Medicaid expansion.”
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