Message from NOW President

Republicans are once again attempting to force passage of their Alternative Health Bill (Trumpcare 3.0)—and unsurprisingly, it is still very much a nightmare for women and families.Last Tuesday night, the MacArthur Amendment was added to the bill to appease the far-right of the Republican party. The amendment only worsens the anti-women provisions in this heartless legislation. It would:

• End ACA protections for essential health benefits such as maternity care and access to affordable birth control. Now, states have the power to choose cutting costs over women’s lives.
• Slash Medicaid funding, thus limiting access to birth control and worsening women’s economic security and mobility. This is disastrous for the nearly 17 million women who rely on Medicaid for essential health services.
• Gut pre-existing condition guarantees and preventative services like birth control, intimate partner violence screening, breast cancer screenings, and comprehensive breastfeeding support, all of which could become prohibitively expensive.

More than 55 million women now have access to vital preventive care without copays or deductibles thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA).When we said to gear up for the next fight for women’s rights, this is what we meant.Call your Representative right now at 202-224-3121 to demand that they oppose stripping women’s healthcare.Yours in solidarity,Terry O'NeillNOW President