LOS ANGELES (February 10, 2017) — On Friday morning the United States Senate confirmed Congressman Tom Price (R-GA) as the new United States Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary by a vote of 52-47.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice (Advancing Justice), an affiliation of five civil rights organizations, is extremely disappointed with his confirmation and concerned with Price’s plans to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) which will leave millions of Americans potentially uninsured.
Tom Price will oversee a budget of over $1 trillion and will have enormous influence over the future direction of the ACA, Medicare and Medicaid, and other programs within HHS. While in Congress, Price has led multiple efforts to repeal and gut the ACA.
Price’s past health care proposals negatively affect immigrants, women, low income individuals, and people of color. His harmful proposals include limiting Medicaid funding by turning it into a block grant, privatizing Medicare, limiting tax credits for the poor, and barring federal funding to critical programs such as Planned Parenthood.
Given Price’s clear desire to repeal and replace the ACA, a program that has expanded health coverage to over 24 million Americans since 2010, Advancing Justice is deeply concerned that as HHS Secretary, Price will effectively cut millions of Americans from affordable health care coverage.
Advancing Justice urges community members to contact their representatives to let them know that the ACA must be protected and not repealed without a comprehensive replacement and to protest any negative policy changes proposed by Price to weaken the ACA or other health care programs.
