Extreme, Harmful & Self-Serving: Cramer’s “Missed Opportunity” to Repeal Health Care Protections Would Have Devastated North Dakota

On the anniversary of the AHCA, a look back at Cramer’s vote to rip health care away from thousands of North Dakotans

(BISMARCK, ND) – One year ago today, Kevin Cramer sided with his powerful friends in Washington over the well-being of North Dakotans. Voting for the American Health Care Act (AHCA) might have been a good move for Cramer’s career, but it could have ripped away health care access and resources from families back home.

Today, Cramer’s agenda is still just as extreme and self-serving as it was last year. As a refresher, the bill that Cramer called a “missed opportunity” could have:

  • Stripped health care coverage from over 30,000 North Dakotans. According to the Congressional Budget Office’s estimates, under the AHCA, over 23 million Americans would lose health insurance by 2026.

  • Put 300,000 North Dakotans with pre-existing conditions at risk paying much more for basic care. The AHCA would have jeopardized the ability of North Dakotans with cancer, diabetes, and other chronic diseases to get affordable access the health care services they need.

  • The AHCA’s “Age Tax” could have significantly increased costs for seniors.The price increase would have made it impossible for many seniors to afford health coverage.

  • Raised premiums by 20 percent in 2018 alone. One estimate showed that North Dakotans would have paid nearly $1,000 more per year under the AHCA.

Cramer’s idea of a “missed opportunity” would have been a health care catastrophe for North Dakotans. This is not policy prescription that puts North Dakotans first.

With his vote, Kevin Cramer put Kevin Cramer’s career ambitions first. Again.

“One year after Cramer voted for a health care prescription for disaster, his policies are just as extreme, self-serving, and bereft of real solutions as ever,” said Scott McNeil, Executive Director of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL. “We can always count on Cramer to turn his back on North Dakotans when we need him most. After voting to rip health care away from families if it’ll help his political career, he even had the gall to call that snake oil a ‘missed opportunity.’ It’s time to tell Kevin Cramer – North Dakotans want real solutions, not another bought-and-paid-for politician who’ll sell us out to the highest bidder.”