By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
On Wednesday, Congresswoman Terri A. Sewell (D) from Selma said after voting against H.R. 6079 The Repeal Obamacare Act.
“Today marked the 31st time House Republicans have voted to take away healthcare benefits instead of focusing on job creation and economic growth. With only thirteen legislative days left before summer recess, it is deeply disappointing that we must put up with this political charade that puts the health and welfare of millions of Americans in jeopardy. Frankly, the American people deserve better and my constituents expect more.”
Congresswoman Sewell continued, “The Affordable Care Act has been passed by both the House and Senate, signed by the President and now upheld as constitutional by the highest court in the land. The American people would be better served if Congress joined the President in working to build on the healthcare reform, rather than undoing it. The fact is, the Affordable Care Act is already providing millions of Americans access to quality healthcare benefits and protections.”
Rep. Sewell said, “In the 7th Congressional District of Alabama alone, 36,000 children with pre-existing health conditions can no longer be denied coverage by their health insurers. 4,700 seniors now pay less for prescription drugs. 90,000 adults and 19,000 children will have health insurance that covers preventative care services and 6,800 young adults will continue to have access to health insurance through their parent’s coverage.”
Rep. Sewell finished, “In this difficult economy, where Americans are working harder for less and struggling to provide for their families, the last thing they can afford to lose is their healthcare benefits. Rather than continuing these divisive politics, we must work together to put people to work and strengthen the middle class. I remained committed to ensuring all Americans continue to have access to quality affordable healthcare.”
Congresswoman Sewell is a first term member of the U.S. House of Representatives, thus was not in the Democrat controlled 111th Congress which passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (better known as Obamacare). She has however been the only supporter of the President’s signature legislation in the Alabama Congressional Delegation.
Rep Sewell’s predecessor in the Seventh Congressional District, Rep. Artur Davis (D) from Selma voted against passage of the bill. After an unsuccessful run for Alabama Governor in 2010, Davis has since moved to Virginia, become a Republican, and endorsed Mitt Romney for President. In 2008, he headed Barack Obama’s Alabama campaign.
At a campaign stop in Iowa, President Obama said, “Now, you know what’s holding us back from meeting this challenge is not a lack of ideas or a lack of solutions. What’s holding us back from making even more progress than we’ve made is a stalemate in Washington between two fundamentally views about which path we should take as a country. And this election is about breaking that stalemate.”
The fate of Obamacare hinges on the outcome of the 2012 election in November.
