Graham-Cassidy bill to repeal Obamacare needs to fail

Re: “Senate GOP musters final push to erase Obama health care law,” Sept. 18 news story.

The GOP is rushing to pass the Graham-Cassidy bill with a simple majority, despite it being less popular than their last draconian health care proposal. GOP senators seem more interested in saving face on their increasingly unpopular promise to repeal the Affordable Care Act than crafting informed, inclusive legislation.

This bill will increase premiums, remove protection for those with pre-existing conditions, revive lifetime caps, deny essential health benefits, abolish subsidies, and gut Medicaid. And 32 million Americans will lose health care coverage.

Based on his voting record, Sen. Cory Gardner likely intends to vote yes on this extreme bill with fatal consequences. It is time for us to call our senator and demand he vote no on Graham-Cassidy, and work on a bipartisan fix for the ACA. As Paul Krugman stated in The New York Times, “Complacency could kill health care ... If you care about preserving the huge gains the Affordable Care Act has brought, make your voice heard.” Sue Keston, Boulder

They are back at it! The Republicans in the Senate are again trying to take away health insurance from millions of people, only this time the new Cassidy-Graham bill is coming up for a vote before an analysis can be conducted by the Congressional Budget Office. Senators will be voting on a bill without even that basic information being available. Among other bad ideas, the bill also seems to want to deny or minimize protection for people with pre-existing conditions.

Anyone who cares about health care in this country and his or her own health care should call or write their senators asking them to vote “no” on the Cassidy-Graham bill. A bipartisan effort should focus on fixing the Affordable Care Act where it needs fixing and not repealing it and replacing it with this draconian legislation. Carol L. Goldstein, Ph.D., RN, Englewood