Whether it’s farmers, working families or small business owners, North Dakotans are united against GOP tax bill

Cramer-supported tax bill takes a beating in North Dakota newspapers
 
(BISMARCK, ND) – Whether it’s farmers, working families, teachers, or small business owners concerned about their taxes and the federal deficit, North Dakotans are united in their message to North Dakota’s delegation: The GOP tax bill that passed the House and is currently being debated in the Senate does not stand for them. The bill, which was enthusiastically supported by Rep. Kevin Cramer, would raise – not cut – taxes on a whopping 30,000 North Dakota households earning less than $106,000, skyrocket the federal deficit by $1.5 trillion, and increase the cost of health care premiums across the state. 
 
But don’t just take it from us. Here’s a sample of the dozens of North Dakotans who’ve written to their newspapers voicing strong opposition to the GOP tax bill:
 
Richard Schlosser – Edgeley, ND: “As a farmer, I felt that I had to respond to those politicians who use farmers like me as the reason why the estate tax should be eliminated. The fact of the matter is the tax affects very few family farmers and ranchers in North Dakota, or in any state for that matter.
 
“North Dakotans, including farmers and ranchers, deserve real reform that simplifies the tax code, eliminates loopholes, makes it more fair and puts money back in the pockets of middle-class families. But instead, we got a false sales pitch about the estate tax to sell a bill that turned out to be a tax hike for many hardworking North Dakotans.”
 
Curtis Schulz – Bismarck, ND: “Deductions on the chopping block are: sales and income tax, property taxes, medical expenses including insurance premiums, self-pay nursing home care including insurance premiums. As a senior citizen, this really concerns me. I fail to see the huge benefit for the middle class as promised.”
Arlette Preston – Fargo, ND: “We need a business environment which encourages entrepreneurship and business growth on Main Street in North Dakota. Our focus should be on individuals and small businesses. This tax bill tilts the benefits to large corporations. That’s why I stand with a majority of small business owners opposing these bills.”
 
Lisa and Greg Cook – Mapleton, ND: “From a tax standpoint, instead of offering permanent tax cuts like the ones larger corporations will receive, small businesses like ours are being offered the short end of the stick, with tax cuts for middle-income earners – many of whom are small business owners – ending after 10 years. Rather than getting rid of the uncertainty, this tax bill will just add to it. It will make it harder for us, and other North Dakota small businesses, to grow.”
 
Lisa Dullum – West Fargo, ND: “I am disappointed in Rep. Kevin Cramer’s support of the recent House bill, which would remove the tax deductions so many teachers like me count on when we buy school supplies for our classrooms. This tax deduction of $250 merely skims the surface of what teachers spend on supplies, snacks or milk money for our students. Teachers pick up the extra costs because schools can’t afford to provide them due to budget cuts and funding shortfalls.
 
“Adding insult to injury, the bill would actually increase taxes for 30,000 middle-class North Dakota Families who earn less than $106,000 per year. Families who North Dakota teachers have helped educate for many generations. How does increasing taxes help our families and children prosper?”
 
Lizzette Cambron – Fargo, ND: “The proposed tax reform will increase my taxes over 300 percent. I cannot afford that, plus my education, plus health care, plus living expenses. My tuition waiver is what keeps me at NDSU. I work hard for NDSU in exchange for my tuition waiver.”
 
Tom Osowski – Minot, ND: “How can Rep. Cramer classify the handful of big donor Republicans as anything other than a “special interest” group? And boy, do the Republicans ever come through for them.”
 
Carla Hess – Grand Forks, ND: “While the middle class is shrinking, our infrastructure is falling apart, young people can’t afford college or college debts and 28 million people have no health insurance. Do we really need to give billions of dollars in tax breaks to the very richest people and big corporations in this country for them to pocket?”
 
Waylon Hedegaard – Bismarck, ND: “The average working person is disregarded, while the wealthy and the corporations have an open door to Congress. This is a terrible way to govern. This is putting corporations over working people, the wealthy over the middle class and special interests over democracy. In strong democracy, winning a battle should never take precedence over governing.”
 
Charles Linderman – Jamestown, ND: “We should not pass on more federal debt to our children and grandchildren so the wealthiest on the planet can pay less taxes.”
 
Krisanna Peterson – Bismarck, ND: “I am requesting an explanation on why big businesses and wealthy individuals are more important than the youth and families of our state.”

Rep. Cramer should denounce the president’s use of a derogatory insult at Native American Code Talker event

(BISMARCK, ND) – Democratic-NPL executive director Scott McNeil issued the following statement calling on Congressman Kevin Cramer to denounce the president’s use of a derogatory insult during a White House event honoring Native American Code Talkers.

 “Using the name of a historic Native American figure to throw cheap insults at a political opponent – most recently at a White House event intended to honor Native American veterans – is insensitive and unbecoming of the office of President of the United States. 
 
“Congressman Kevin Cramer has consistently defended the administration’s most outrageous behavior. He should know how insulting these remarks are to North Dakota’s military veterans, and especially to the families of the many North Dakotan Code Talkers who served in WWII and WWI and were posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. Our veterans, Native North Dakotans, and those of Native American heritage all deserve better from their elected representative in Washington, D.C.”  

Kevin Cramer’s Trillion-Dollar Two-Step

(BISMARCK, ND) – Politicians are known for contradicting themselves, but their flip-flops usually don’t cost over one trillion dollars.
 
Kevin Cramer’s latest flip-flop does. And if he gets his way, North Dakota taxpayers are going to foot the bill.
 
For more than a decade, Kevin Cramer decried the national debt, calling on members of Congress to cut spending, eliminate programs that benefit North Dakota, and rein in deficits.
 
Now it’s 2017, and the Republican-controlled House of Representatives has accomplished few – if any – major policy goals. In Cramer’s own words, Republicans are fighting for their “political survival” unless they pass something into law. Anything. Deficits be darned when Republican mega-donors are angry.
 
That something, it seems, is a massive budget-busting tax bill that benefits the wealthy at the expense of low- and middle-income families in North Dakota, who in many cases would actually see a tax increase.  
 
“If cutting taxes for the wealthy and hiking taxes on many low-and working-class people wasn’t bad enough, Kevin Cramer didn’t even bother to pay for the bill,” said Democratic-NPL executive director Scott McNeil. “What happened to the Kevin Cramer who was constantly sounding alarms over the national debt when we had a Democratic president? Did he forget about Congress paying its bills? Or did he never really care to begin with? His tax cuts for the wealthy are just another example of Cramer putting party and politics before North Dakotan families.” 
 

Timeline of Cramer’s statements on the deficit and debt leading up to his $1.3 trillion two-step:

November 16, 2017: Despite more than 10 years of statements to the contrary, Cramer disregards the national debt and votes in favor of a massive tax bill that threatens to stick taxpayers with a $1.3 trillion bill.  

…but before that… 

September 26, 2016: According to the Bismarck Tribune, “Cramer, 55, is seeking his third two-year term in Congress. He said he has worked with fellow lawmakers to reduce the federal deficit.”
 
January 16, 2014: According to Underwood News, “Cramer agreed: ‘We should be diligent with every penny,’ he said. Cramer added that the national debt will never get under control until entitlements are dealt with.”
 
October 7, 2013: According to the Williston Daily Herald, “Looking ahead, Cramer said the key to ending the shutdown is leadership and compromise. ‘Funding decisions are not easy with the national debt approaching $17 trillion,’ Cramer said.”
 
November 7, 2012: According to the Associated Press, “Cramer advocated eliminating a federal tax subsidy for the wind industry to help reduce federal budget deficits and debt.”
 
September 29, 2012: According to the Grand Forks Herald, “Cramer acknowledges the job losses linked to the expiration but said North Dakota’s economy is strong enough to absorb them. The national debt should be a bigger concern than support for the wind industry, he said. ‘Is that really the appropriate role for our government, to subsidize jobs when we have a $16 trillion debt?’ he said.”
 
March 14, 2010: According to the Bismarck Tribune, “For Public Service Commission Chairman Kevin Cramer and Fargo legislator and businessman Rick Berg, the economy, job creation, energy and health care have been major issues of the campaign. Both consider the economy and job creation to be priority No. 1, both are opposed to the health care bill and cap-and-trade, and both want to tackle the deficit.”
 
May 3, 1998: According to the Bismarck Tribune, Cramer expressed concern over “feeding the federal budget.” “Cramer – who had indicated this might be a kinder, gentler campaign than he waged two years ago – set the tone by saying, ‘It seems Earl is not concerned about the take-home pay North Dakota workers need to feed their families. He’s more concerned about feeding the federal budget.’”
 
April 16, 1996: According to the Bismarck Tribune, Cramer “renewed his call for another amendment, this one to require Congress enact balanced federal budgets. Raising taxes won’t eliminate the federal deficit, he said, but that amendment would.” 

“Political survival” – Rep. Cramer admits the real reason for his vote to hike taxes on working and middle-class North Dakotans

(BISMARCK, ND) – This week, Rep. Kevin Cramer voted for the House Republican tax bill, a measure that would give massive benefits to the wealthiest Americans, while increasing taxes on low- and middle-income earners in North Dakota.

Under Cramer’s tax bill, working North Dakotans with incomes between $10,000 – $40,000 would see their income taxes increase from $111 to $1,235 per year by 2025 [Source on Page 6].

After the vote, Cramer called this “a historic moment for the middle class,” but on Friday, he spilled the real reasons behind his rushed vote on a massive re-write of the tax code, without waiting for a full Congressional Budget Office score.

“Political survival depends on us doing this,” he told the Associated Press, conceding that House Republicans are desperate to demonstrate they can pass something – anything – through Congress and into law. “One of the things that scares me a little bit is that they’re going to screw up the bill to the point we can’t pass it,” he said, referring to the prospects for the GOP’s tax agenda in the U.S. Senate.

Cramer joins the company of his Republican colleague from New York, who admitted that the real reason to pass tax reform was politics and the fear of losing wealthy donors.

“This week, Congressman Cramer voted to hike taxes on North Dakotans who work hard each day to put food on their tables and maintain a comfortable standard of living,” said Democratic-NPL executive director Scott McNeil. “If Cramer’s vote had truly been about getting the policy right, he would have demanded this bill go through the normal legislative process, with careful consideration of the consequences for all North Dakotans. But this was about politics, and so Kevin Cramer once again put special interests and lobbyists in Washington, D.C., ahead of North Dakota families. The swamp just got deeper with Kevin Cramer’s vote.”

Will Cramer, Campbell and Hoeven torpedo bipartisan health care deal?

(BISMARCK, ND) – Yesterday’s announcement of a bipartisan health care deal was met with unsurprising silence from North Dakota’s Republican leaders Rep. Kevin Cramer, senate candidate Tom Campbell, and U.S. Sen. John Hoeven – all of whom previously supported efforts to eliminate health care protections for tens of thousands of North Dakotans and totally dismantle Medicaid.
 
“Congressman Kevin Cramer, state Sen. Tom Campbell and U.S. Sen. John Hoeven all supported efforts to kick tens of thousands of North Dakotans off their insurance, dismantle Medicaid and spike costs by sowing chaos in the insurance marketplace,” said Democratic-NPL executive director Scott McNeil. “Now, we have a different approach, a bipartisan path forward that incorporates ideas from a wide range of stakeholders and was crafted through a normal, open legislative process. While some Republican leaders are so bent on scoring political points, they have signaled they might not support the bipartisan Alexander-Murray deal, North Dakotans are anxiously wondering where Cramer, Campbell and Hoeven stand.” 
 
“It’s also worth noting that Cramer, Campbell and Hoeven all supported the original Senate repeal bill, which actually included two years of funding for CSRs,” added McNeil. “It would be staggeringly hypocritical to oppose a truly bipartisan deal over the same funding that was included in a bill they previously supported.”
 
Alexander-Murray was crafted by a bipartisan group of 30 U.S. Senators, including Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, and incorporates input from numerous governors, state insurance commissioners, patient advocates, health care providers and insurance companies. It has already received praise from health experts and lawmakers across the ideological spectrum – even including members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus – for taking much-needed steps to stabilize insurance markets and lower costs for consumers.
 
The Alexander-Murray deal would:
– Restore critical Cost-Sharing Reduction payments that help keep health insurance affordable for as many as 42,000 North Dakotans, but were cut off by the administration.
– Restore funding for outreach and enrollment, including health care navigators – organizations that help Americans enroll in health insurance options that meet their needs – which was slashed by 93 and 96 percent for two of North Dakota’s three navigators.
– Create a Copper Plan insurance option that would provide a new, lower cost, option for individuals and families. This is a measure Sen. Heitkamp has been advocating for since 2014.
– Offer more flexibility for states to be innovative with how they ensure coverage for families. States would still be required to offer comprehensive insurance, cover the same number of individuals, and comply with the essential health benefits in the health reform law.
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When it comes to deliberate attempts to sabotage health care for ND families, Cramer, Campbell & Hoeven are part of the problem

(BISMARCK, ND) – A new report from The New York Times reveals how national Republican leaders are deliberately trying to undermine health insurance markets and increase costs for consumers, following their repeated failures to repeal and replace the federal health care law.

The Times article – which follows similar reports by BuzzFeed News and the Daily Beast – also highlights how continued silence from Republican officials and candidates like Rep. Kevin Cramer, state Sen. Tom Campbell and U.S. Sen. John Hoeven is contributing to the problem of uncertainty in the marketplace and rising costs for North Dakota families.

“With massive cuts to federal funds that help North Dakotans sign up for health insurance – and statements from Medica saying their ability to participate in North Dakota’s exchange is threatened by uncertainty with federal payments to help families afford coverage – one thing is clear: Deliberate attempts from Republicans to undermine the federal health care law are sowing chaos in the insurance marketplace and threatening North Dakotans’ access to care,” said Democratic-NPL executive director Scott McNeil. “Representative Cramer, state Sen. Campbell, and U.S. Sen. Hoeven must call for an end to these deliberate attempts to sabotage of our health care system and commit to working on real solutions that rein in costs and protect North Dakotans’ access to care.”

According to the Times:

“After the latest Senate effort to repeal the health law collapsed, insurers still have no commitment about whether the government will continue to allocate millions of dollars in critical financing […] 

“The changing circumstances and inaction by Congress have forced insurers to raise rates and experiment with different plans for those who are not eligible for federal assistance.”

According to BuzzFeed News:    

“All of the [Department of Health and Human Service’s] 10 regional directors were told not to participate in state-based events promoting open enrollment — a significant change from years past.

“The move follows a trend by the Trump administration of stepping away from past federal assistance for Obamacare and, particularly, of dialing back resources for the upcoming open enrollment period.”

According to the Daily Beast:

“The Trump administration said it cut the navigator programs because recipients had not met previous enrollment goals (PDF). But navigators say this deliberately ignores the work they do, from educating people about their health care options to convincing those they do enroll to persuade others to do the same. For them, the dialing-back of the program reeks of a White House trying to gut a law they couldn’t legislatively undo.”

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When it comes to deliberate attempts to sabotage health care for ND families, Cramer, Campbell & Hoeven are part of the problem

(BISMARCK, ND) – A new report from The New York Times reveals how national Republican leaders are deliberately trying to undermine health insurance markets and increase costs for consumers, following their repeated failures to repeal and replace the federal health care law.

The Times article – which follows similar reports by BuzzFeed News and the Daily Beast – also highlights how continued silence from Republican officials and candidates like Rep. Kevin Cramer, state Sen. Tom Campbell and U.S. Sen. John Hoeven is contributing to the problem of uncertainty in the marketplace and rising costs for North Dakota families.

“With massive cuts to federal funds that help North Dakotans sign up for health insurance – and statements from Medica saying their ability to participate in North Dakota’s exchange is threatened by uncertainty with federal payments to help families afford coverage – one thing is clear: Deliberate attempts from Republicans to undermine the federal health care law are sowing chaos in the insurance marketplace and threatening North Dakotans’ access to care,” said Democratic-NPL executive director Scott McNeil. “Representative Cramer, state Sen. Campbell, and U.S. Sen. Hoeven must call for an end to these deliberate attempts to sabotage of our health care system and commit to working on real solutions that rein in costs and protect North Dakotans’ access to care.”

According to the Times:

“After the latest Senate effort to repeal the health law collapsed, insurers still have no commitment about whether the government will continue to allocate millions of dollars in critical financing […] 

“The changing circumstances and inaction by Congress have forced insurers to raise rates and experiment with different plans for those who are not eligible for federal assistance.”

According to BuzzFeed News:    

“All of the [Department of Health and Human Service’s] 10 regional directors were told not to participate in state-based events promoting open enrollment — a significant change from years past.

“The move follows a trend by the Trump administration of stepping away from past federal assistance for Obamacare and, particularly, of dialing back resources for the upcoming open enrollment period.”

According to the Daily Beast:

“The Trump administration said it cut the navigator programs because recipients had not met previous enrollment goals (PDF). But navigators say this deliberately ignores the work they do, from educating people about their health care options to convincing those they do enroll to persuade others to do the same. For them, the dialing-back of the program reeks of a White House trying to gut a law they couldn’t legislatively undo.”

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Who do you trust?

The most important question when it comes to Graham-Cassidy

 

(BISMARCK, ND) – The health care system is complicated, but the question of who to trust when it comes to Republicans’ newest health care repeal bill is not:
 
On one side, in support of Graham-Cassidy, are North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven, Rep. Kevin Cramer and Gov. Doug Burgum.
 
On the other side, opposing Graham-Cassidy, are numerous health care organizations representing doctors, medical professionals, hospitals, insurers and patients.
 
“The truth is: Sen. Hoeven, Rep. Cramer and Gov. Burgum are supporting the disastrous Graham-Cassidy bill that would result in an estimated 47,000 North Dakotans losing their health coverage for political reasons, to make good on a campaign slogan,” said Democratic-NPL executive director Scott McNeil. “Simply put, Hoeven, Cramer and Burgum are putting their party ahead North Dakota families, despite the severe consequences.”
 
Take a look for yourself and ask: “Who do I trust?”  
 

Supports Graham-Cassidy: Opposes Graham-Cassidy:
 

  • U.S. Sen. John Hoeven
  • U.S. Rep. Kevin Cramer
  • Gov. Doug Burgum

 

  

  • AARP, North Dakota
  • ALS Association
  • American Cancer Society
  • American College of Physicians
  • American Diabetes Association
  • American Medical Association
  • American Academy of Family Physicians
  • American Academy of Pediatrics
  • American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
  • America’s Essential Hospitals
  • Americas Health Insurance Plans
  • American Heart Association
  • American Hospital Association
  • American Lung Association
  • American Nurses Association
  • American Osteopathic Association
  • American Psychiatric Association
  • The Arc
  • Arthritis Foundation
  • Association of Community Affiliated Plans
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
  • Catholic Health Association
  • Children’s Hospital Association
  • Coalition to Stop Opioid Overdoses
  • Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities
  • Consumers Union
  • Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
  • Family Voices
  • Federation of American Hospitals
  • Greater New York Hospital Association
  • JDRF
  • Lutheran Services in America
  • Kaiser Permanente
  • Kansas Hospital Association
  • March of Dimes
  • National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship
  • National Health Council
  • National Multiple Sclerosis Society
  • National Organization for Rare Diseases
  • The School Superintendent’s Association and 70+ groups
  • Volunteers of America
  • Women Heart 
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47,000.

That’s how many North Dakotans are estimated to lose health coverage under Graham-Cassidy.

 

(BISMARCK, ND) – 47,000 North Dakotans would lose health coverage under Republicans’ latest, last-ditch effort to pass a health care repeal bill, according to a new estimate by the Center for American Progress. Across the country, 32 million Americans would lose their coverage.
 
Yesterday, the American Medical Association joined 17 other health care organizations by announcing their opposition to the latest repeal bill, known as Graham-Cassidy. The AMA wrote that, like previous health care repeal bills, Graham-Cassidy “violates the precept of ‘First do no harm.’”        
 
“North Dakotans should ask themselves why national Republicans – including Rep. Kevin Cramer and Sen. John Hoeven – refuse to work on health care reform proposals that don’t start with destructive goals like revoking protections for preexisting conditions, eliminating Medicaid expansion, and dismantling traditional Medicaid,” said Democratic-NPL executive director Scott McNeil. “Supporting a bill that would cause 47,000 North Dakotans and 32 million Americans to lose their health insurance isn’t just bad policy – it’s immoral. Sen. Hoeven and Rep. Cramer should drop these reckless efforts, and instead focus on bipartisan solutions that stabilize insurance markets, expand coverage, and lower costs. There are plenty of good ideas out there, including many of the policies Senator Heitkamp has been working on and accomplishing for years.” 
 
“State Sen. Tom Campbell – an announced candidate for U.S. Senate – also has an obligation to tell us where he stands on ripping health insurance away from 47,000 North Dakotans,” added McNeil.          

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11 ways Senator Heitkamp has fought to improve health care for North Dakotans and stabilize the insurance markets

(BISMARCK, ND) – As Washington Republicans twist arms to garner support for the unpopular Graham-Cassidy health care bill that would raise costs and rip coverage away from thousands of North Dakotans, Senator Heidi Heitkamp has urged both sides to come together on common-sense, bipartisan solutions to improve health coverage and stabilize the insurance markets. She has worked for the past four-and-a-half years on many proposals to make the health reform law work better for North Dakotans. In addition to fighting to protect care for children with disabilities, seniors and North Dakotans with pre-existing conditions, here are 11 actions Senator Heitkamp has taken to try to fix what’s broken in health care:

  1. 1. Introduced the Addressing Affordability for More Americans Act this year, which would help more North Dakota families buy insurance through the individual market by making premium assistance more available for seniors, workers and middle-class families.
  2. 2. In 2013, listened to the concerns of North Dakotans through panels with small business owners and consumers – she also created a page on her website to answer questions about health care reform and direct North Dakotans to resources to obtain coverage.
  3. 3. In June, she led the charge on the Senate floor with 15 Democratic Senators urging bipartisan cooperation to immediately pass legislation to provide certainty in the insurance markets and lower health care premiums for North Dakotans.
  4. 4. This year, she again cosponsored the Commonsense Competition and Access to Health Insurance Act to request insurance regulators to analyze the effectiveness of selling health insurance across state lines.
  5. 5. In June of this year, supported and pushed for the Marketplace Stabilization Act to make premium assistance payments permanent and increase the eligibility and generosity of the benefit – this would bring more certainty to the marketplace and make health care more affordable and accessible for North Dakotans.
  6. 6. Introduced her bipartisan Small Business Healthcare Relief Act with Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) in 2015 to help employers offer health care reimbursement accounts to their employees. This bill was signed into law in December 2016.
  7. 7. Joined Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) in 2015 to introduce her bipartisan Restoring Access to Medication Act with to help make over-the-counter medications more affordable for North Dakota’s seniors and families. This bill was reintroduced this year.
  8. 8. In 2014, she unveiled a package of 9 pieces of legislation with five other Senators to make health insurance more affordable and the marketplace more competitive for consumers, offer relief for small businesses and workers, and improve access to quality plans for all Americans.
  9. 9. Successfully urged the Obama Administration in 2013 to delay the employer mandate until a sustainable plan was in place for businesses to provide coverage to their employees.
  10. 10. Supported the common-sense Protecting Affordable Coverage for Employees Act, which would give small businesses more flexibility to provide affordable coverage to their workers. Senator Heitkamp also pressed the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on this issue. This bill was signed into law in October 2015.
  11. 11. Fought to protect access to preventive care – such as mammogram screenings – at no out-of-pocket costs, by leading a bipartisan and bicameral letter to the Department of Health and Human Services and supporting the Protecting Access to Lifesaving Screenings Act in 2015.

“While Washington is in yet another partisan food-fight over health care, it’s refreshing that Senator Heitkamp is continuing to offer real solutions – just as she has for years – to bring stability to the insurance markets and improve health care for North Dakotans,” said Democratic-NPL chairwoman Kylie Oversen. “Rural states like North Dakota face a lot of challenges when it comes to health care, and the recent Graham-Cassidy bill would only make access to health care even worse. Senator Heitkamp has shown great leadership by staying laser-focused on common-sense solutions, not politics – I hope Kevin Cramer and Tom Campbell will join her in supporting these bipartisan, pro-North Dakota reforms.”

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Hoeven ‘supportive’ of newest GOP repeal effort opposed by numerous national medical organizations

Campbell and Cramer remain silent – Where do they stand?   

 

(BISMARCK, ND) – The Fargo Forum reported yesterday that U.S. Senator John Hoeven is “supportive” of the newest Republican health care repeal bill known as Graham-Cassidy. Hoeven’s support comes as no fewer than 18 national medical and patient organizations announced their opposition to the bill.
 
State Senator Tom Campbell – who is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on television ads for his U.S. Senate campaign 14 months before election day – hasn’t said a word about Graham-Cassidy or its impacts on North Dakota. Neither has Congressman Kevin Cramer.
 
“North Dakotans have been clear that they expect our leaders to work for real, bipartisan health care solutions that lower costs and protect patients, without kicking tens of thousands of North Dakotans off their health insurance, without dismantling Medicaid, and without jeopardizing rural hospitals that are critical in states like ours,” said Democratic-NPL Chairwoman Kylie Oversen. “Unfortunately Republicans in Washington and our own Senator John Hoeven haven’t gotten that message. While Kevin Cramer has supported equally devastating measures in the past, perhaps the silence from Tom Campbell on Graham-Cassidy suggests he understands what an awful piece of legislation this truly is. Campbell apparently wants to be a senator, but he’s too scared to say if he stands for a bill that would hurt North Dakota.”

Graham-Cassidy’s impacts on North Dakota:
 
Last week, the nonpartisan Center for Budget and Policy Priorities released a report showing that North Dakota stands to lose $677 million in Medicaid funding over the next decade under Graham-Cassidy. Medicaid provides health coverage for over 90,000 North Dakotans, including approximately 36,000 children. Another report from the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation found that Graham-Cassidy would impose an age tax on older Americans, allowing insurers to charge them up to 5 times more for coverage.

Major medical organizations oppose Graham-Cassidy: 
 
Today, the American Medical Association – the largest organization representing physicians in the United States – announced their opposition to Graham-Cassidy, writing:
 
“Similar to proposals that were considered in the Senate in July, we believe the Graham-Cassidy Amendment would result in millions of Americans losing their health insurance coverage, destabilize health insurance markets, and decrease access to affordable coverage and care.” 
 
The AMA added that Graham-Cassidy, “violates the precept of ‘first do no harm.’”
 
Other national organizations opposing the bill include: 
 
– American Medical Association 
– American College of Physicians
– ALS Association
– American Cancer Society 
– American Diabetes Association
– American Heart Association
– American Lung Association
– Arthritis Foundation
– Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
– Family Voices
– JDRF
– Lutheran Services in America
– March of Dimes
– National Health Council
– National Multiple Sclerosis Society
– National Organization for Rare Diseases
– Volunteers of America
– WomenHeart

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Latest GOP repeal bill slashes North Dakota’s Medicaid funding by $677 million

With access to health care for over 90,000 North Dakotans potentially impacted, where do Hoeven, Campbell & Cramer stand? 

 

(BISMARCK, ND) – A new report from the nonpartisan Center for Budget and Policy Priorities shows that the latest Republican health care repeal bill – known as Cassidy-Graham-Heller – would reduce North Dakota’s Medicaid funding by $677 million over the next decade, increasing costs for families and jeopardizing coverage for over 90,000 North Dakotans who rely on Medicaid, including approximately 36,000 children.The CBPP also found that Cassidy-Graham-Heller would gut coverage for pre-existing conditions, while another report by the Kaiser Family Foundation found it would impose an age tax on older Americans, allowing insurers to charge them up to 5 times more for coverage.

“After months of outcry in North Dakota and all across the country, Republicans in Washington, D.C., still haven’t gotten the message,” said Democratic-NPL chairwoman Kylie Oversen. “Repealing health care for millions of families, slashing funding from Medicaid, and dismantling protections for North Dakotans with pre-existing conditions is deeply irresponsible and unethical. This latest, last-ditch effort at repeal is strikingly similar to other recent repeal bills, all of which were overwhelmingly criticized by medical organizations nationwide and in North Dakota, all of which were deeply unpopular across the country and in North Dakota, and none of which mustered enough support to pass through Congress. North Dakotans should demand to know where their leaders – including those vying for elected office – stand on issues that have such an immediate and potentially devastating impact on our livelihoods.”

Leading health care organizations including the American College of Physicians have already come out in opposition to the Cassidy-Graham-Heller repeal bill, which they say would “cause a significant increase in the number of uninsured patients and [would] undermine essential benefits provided for patients insured under current law.”

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