4 Ways to #ProtectOurCare During Recess

Even though members of Congress have temporarily left Washington, D.C. for their recess period, the fight to protect our health care remains urgent. All of the back-and-forth and changing plans in Congress boil down to one truth: our health care is still on the line.

Before the recess, Congress pulled its dangerous health care repeal bill, as it did not have the votes needed to pass the House. After thousands of us spoke up at town halls, attended rallies, wrote messages, and made calls, it was clear that the bill didn’t have support from constituents either. At that time, Speaker Paul Ryan even admitted, “Obamacare is the law of the land. […] We are going to be with it for the foreseeable future.”

But flash-forward just a few weeks later, and Paul Ryan and other House members are still at it, promising to bring forward another bill after recess to repeal the Affordable Care Act. A new version could make their already bad bill even worse—the latest updated repeal effort would allow states to eliminate protections for those with pre-existing conditions. On top of that, President Trump has suggested that he would withhold cost-sharing reduction subsidy payments to insurers, which could have devastating long-term consequences for millions of insured Americans.

Here’s the bottom line: The Affordable Care Act is still under threat and we need to send a strong message to the House and Senate: Stop trying to repeal our health care. Here is what you can do to help keep the pressure up during the remaining days of recess:

1. Turn out to town halls or other events: ​Find a public event or town hall with your representative here. Help break through the noise by sharing your story of why health care matters and listening to others.
2. Keep up the calls: ​House and Senate members need to keep hearing from us in their offices. Flood their voicemails. Call your representative now: 888-852-0653.
3. Ask members to go on the record: ​We need House and Senate members to recommit that they will not repeal the health care law and will not cut coverage, increase costs, or eliminate basic services — like cancer screenings and prescriptions drugs.
4. Hold members accountable: The chart below lists the nearly ​one hundred Congress members who voted or came out publicly in support of ripping apart people’s health care. They need to hear directly from their constituents both in person, on the phone, and through social media that we will not forget their vote, and that it’s time to stop efforts to repeal the law.