On Monday, the Congressional Budget Office confirmed what has been rumored and feared about the Senate Republican health care bill written behind closed doors in Congress. The Republican’s bill is heartless and deadly. According to the Congress’ own nonpartisan CBO experts, the mean-spirited bill would force 22 million Americans to lose health care coverage completely while tens of millions will be forced to pay a lot more money for much less coverage.  Premiums will rise by an additional 20 percent next year because of this bill.

The cost of health care coverage for older workers with fixed incomes could rise by as much as $10,000 per year. Crafted in closed meetings, the bill slashes Medicaid funding and would alter Medicaid programs as we know them. Medicaid covers most long-term care for seniors and basic medical care for over 30 million children. 680,000 veterans rely on Medicaid as their sole provider of health care. In fact, the bill taxes our health care benefits and steals from the Medicare Trust Fund — all to pay for tax breaks for millionaires, billionaires, and insurance and pharmaceutical companies. This health care bill increases costs for everyone, including the over 150 million Americans who have health care coverage from their employers. By eroding or eliminating financial protections, such as lifetime caps, 27 million workers and their dependents with insurance will be at risk of bankruptcy or worse. It is no small wonder why majority Senate Republicans have been going through such pains to hide the bill from the public and are now trying to bring it to the floor quickly for a vote.

Make no mistake, this is an attack on all working people’s freedom and economic security. I strongly urge President Trump and Senate Republicans to reject this horrible bill crafted behind closed doors and instead work with the American people and across party aisles to expand affordable, quality health care for all Americans.