WASHINGTON — Tomorrow, U.S. Senator Tom Udall, vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, will lead a day of action highlighting the devastating impacts of the Republican health care legislation on Indian Country. Udall has heard from many Tribal leaders and Native Americans in New Mexico and throughout Indian Country who are concerned about efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act — which has insured an additional 45,600 Native Americans in New Mexico and has helped fill badly needed funding gaps at the Indian Health Service. The Republican health care legislation currently being considered in the Senate would make drastic cuts to Medicaid and eliminate the Medicaid expansion of the ACA without any form of Tribal consultation. Overall, almost 300,000 New Mexicans from all backgrounds would lose health care under the GOP bill, which also would kill an estimated 50,000 New Mexico jobs by 2022.
First, at 7:30 a.m. MT / 9:30 a.m. ET, Udall will host a roundtable listening session to hear from a panel of Tribal leaders and Tribal health experts on how the Republican health care bill would affect their communities. Udall will highlight the importance of Tribal consultation on national legislation that would have a direct impact on Indian Country. The roundtable will be livestreamed on Udall’s YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1PwytkX8E8.
Shortly after the roundtable, at 10 a.m. MT / 12 p.m. ET, Udall will hold “Tuesdays with Tom,” a press conference call for local reporters to relay what he learned at the roundtable and to answer any questions about the impacts of the Republican health care bill on New Mexico Tribes. To join the call, please RSVP to news@tomudall.senate.gov for the call-in information.
Then, at approximately 1:25 p.m. MT / 3:25 p.m. ET, Udall will lead a group of Senate Indian Affairs Committee Democrats in speaking on the Senate Floor to highlight the ways Indian Country has benefitted from the ACA — which has greatly expanded access to quality, affordable care for families and has created jobs and boosted the economy in Native communities. Udall will share the story of a Native family in New Mexico who was able to receive essential care during a complicated pregnancy thanks to the Medicaid expansion.
Tomorrow, July 18, 2017
WHAT: Udall will lead a roundtable titled, ‘Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) Impacts to Tribal Communities,’ to hear from Tribal leaders and Tribal health experts about the impacts of the Republican health care bill on Indian Country
TIME: 7:30 a.m. MT / 9:30 a.m. ET
WHERE: 628 Dirksen Senate Office Building. Watch LIVE on Udall’s YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1PwytkX8E8.
WHAT: Udall will hold “Tuesdays with Tom,” a press conference call for local reporters. This week, he will focus on the impact of the GOP health care bill on Tribal communities in New Mexico.
TIME: 10 a.m. MT / 12 p.m. ET
WHERE: RSVP to news@tomudall.senate.gov to access call information
WHAT: Udall to lead Senate Indian Affairs Committee Democrats in speaking on Senate floor about the lack of Tribal consultation and the devastating impacts of TrumpCare on Indian Country
TIME: Approximately 1:25 p.m. MT / 3:25 p.m. ET (as always, times on the Senate floor are difficult to predict. We will update if the time changes.)
WHERE: U.S. Senate Floor. Watch LIVE on Udall’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/senatortomudall/.
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