Happy Anniversary: Cramer Voted for “Mean” Bill to Strip Over 30,000 North Dakotans of Health Coverage

Cramer-backed American Health Care Act (AHCA) would have hurt those with pre-existing conditions the most
(BISMARCK, ND) – This week, we’re approaching the anniversary of Kevin Cramer’s vote to pass the American Health Care Act (AHCA) of 2017, legislation that President Trump called just plain “mean” because it could have forced more than 30,000 North Dakotans off their health insurance.

Additionally, more than 300,000 North Dakotans with pre-existing conditions could have lost their health coverage or been charged more for basic care.

Cramer’s vote on May 4, 2017, was an attempt to roll back important progress made toward expanding health care access and proved that he’d rather stand with partisan Washington big-shots like Mitch McConnell that can help him with his own career rather than with North Dakota families.

But this shouldn’t be a surprise, given Cramer’s history. Instead of working to improve health care options for North Dakotans, Cramer was more concerned with attacking North Dakotans with diabetes, cancer, and other pre-existing conditions  saying they were trying to “game” the system. In fact, he’s voted nearly 60 times to strip coverage from North Dakota’s most vulnerable populations.

“In the words of President Trump, Kevin Cramer’s vote to kick over 30,000 North Dakotans off their health coverage – including over 18,000 men and women who gained health insurance through the Medicaid expansion – was just plain ‘mean,’” said Scott McNeil, Executive Director of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL. “Cramer showed his true colors with that vote– he cares more about voting in lockstep with party leaders that can help him get ahead than he does about the health and safety of North Dakotans. With Cramer, our families will always take a backseat to the ideological concerns of his donors and his own political ambitions – and that’s not what we deserve.”