In late March, Rep. Scott Tipton voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) which will throw 24 million Americans off the insurance roles. In Tipton’s district, approximately 62,000 individuals covered by the ACA’s Medicaid expansion stand to lose coverage. Thousands more, particularly older self-employed individuals like myself, will see substantial increases in premiums as the Republicans move to take from the poor and middle class and give to the rich.

Using the online calculator created by the Kaiser Family Foundation, our premiums increase by $10,000 annually. Unbelievably, the two biggest tax cuts in the replacement plan would deliver roughly $144 billion over the coming decade to those with incomes of $1 million or more, per a congressional analysis.

When I met with Congressman Tipton to deliver a petition in support of the ACA, signed by 200 constituents, he lamented the partisan nature of health care reform and indicated lasting change must be bi-partisan.

Not a single Democrat voted for the ACHA, Congressman Ryan’s ACA repeal and replacement bill. Why? Because democrats were completely excluded from the process as this bill was rammed through Congress, and because it clearly hurts Americans.

Rep. Tipton voted with the Republican Leadership and against his constituents in the 3rd Congressional District. It is time to fix health care. Let’s work to make the ACA a fair and equitable health delivery system, protect our rural hospitals and promote economic fairness for all.

Peter M. Robinson

Mancos