September 25, 2017 Dear Senators: We, the More Than 3,000 Undersigned Faith Leaders Representing Jewish, Christian, Muslim
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September 25, 2017 Dear Senators: We, the more than 3,000 undersigned faith leaders representing Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Sikh, and Buddhist traditions, believe that healthcare is an essential human right. We believe that individuals and families should not have to worry about the future of their healthcare coverage and whether or not it will be ripped away. It was a tremendous relief that Congress was working in an open, bipartisan way to improve our healthcare system. But now, we are outraged that Congress would abandon these efforts for another partisan attempt that would take healthcare away from millions of our people. For the sake of our people, please oppose the Graham-Cassidy proposal and support the reauthorization of the vital Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Disproportionate Share Hospitals (DSH) program. The Graham-Cassidy proposal would cause millions to lose health coverage, and people experiencing vulnerability, sickness, and poverty would be hit the hardest. Over the next decade, ACA funding would be eliminated, Medicaid would be gutted, and critical protections, such as for people with preexisting conditions, could be eliminated in certain states. Graham-Cassidy would end Medicaid as we know it by instituting a per capita cap and shifting billions of dollars onto states. The result would be nothing short of reducing access to quality healthcare, raising premiums, and eliminating protections for millions of Americans. In 2027 alone, Graham-Cassidy would cut federal health care spending by $299 billion. More than 37 million children would be affected by cuts to Medicaid. Graham-Cassidy not only threatens the health coverage of millions of children through cuts to Medicaid, but it also delays bipartisan congressional action to extend funding for programs like the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Since its creation in 1997, the uninsured rate of low- and middle-class children has decreased from 14% to just 5%. Without reauthorization, CHIP funding will expire at the end of September, and the nearly 9 million children on CHIP might begin to receive termination notices. We also urge you to protect funding for DSH, which supports safety-net hospitals that provide health services to people without insurance. Without this funding, many hospitals will face difficult decisions to cut services or close entirely. In rural areas especially, lower-income Americans will face a crisis. The $43 billion in proposed funding cuts over the next eight years will cause job loss, a decrease in the quality and number of services hospitals provide, and create life-threatening gaps in healthcare service for many Americans. To allow Graham-Cassidy to pass the Senate – and to allow the CHIP and DSH programs to lapse – is to allow the health of America’s most vulnerable people to face unnecessary and immoral obstacles. Jobs will be lost, local economies will be harmed, and access to healthcare will become a challenge for many. Therefore, we deplore this proposed legislation and these potential funding cuts and pray that you will work with your colleagues in Congress to prevent any disruption of healthcare for Americans. As faith leaders, it is our duty to care for and minister to people in our communities. As Senators, you have a similar duty to care for your constituents. Please focus on bipartisanship rather than political posturing, oppose Graham-Cassidy, and extend CHIP and DSH funding. Sincerely, world has ever known, we also have National Faith Leaders Fr. Charles Currie S.J. the ability to fund the best Jesuit Digital Network, preventative health care system. Sr. Simone Campbell SSS Washington, DC The Graham-Cassidy bill would NETWORK Lobby for Catholic decimate patient protections, Social Justice, Washington, DC Julian Medrano decrease care, and directly lead to Once again, a group of white, male Interfaith Worker Justice, Chicago, thousands of preventable lives lost Senators have crafted a plan that is IL that are currently being saved by out of touch with the realities of the affordability and coverage of millions of ordinary families and Rabbi Jonah Pesner the ACA. fails the moral tests of our faith. The Religious Action Center of Reform Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson Judaism/Union for Reform Josh Protas proposal is immoral policy that Judaism, Washington, DC MAZON: A Jewish Response to would hurt millions of people, and Hunger, Washington, DC their plan to rush it through without Rabbi David Saperstein knowing the impact is reckless. This Union for Reform Judaism, Barbara Weinstein new repeal bill goes far beyond the Washington, DC Commission on Social Action of BCRA by eliminating all ACA Reform Judaism, Washington, DC premium and copay supports, Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis Diane Randall gutting Medicaid, and removing Middle Collegiate Church, NY, NY Friends Committee on National protections for people with pre- Legislation, Washington, DC existing conditions. These policies Rev. Jennifer Butler The Cassidy-Graham health care target people struggling to get by, Faith in Public Life, Washington, proposal violates the very values the sick, and the elderly—the very DC that lie at the core of Quaker people Jesus teaches us to put first. morals. This bill would threaten the Catholic sisters stand with our Sr. Patricia Chappell SNDdeN health and dignity of millions of nation’s most vulnerable people Pax Christi USA, Washington, DC Americans, especially low-income and we must stand against this Pax Christi USA strongly believes children, seniors, and people with anti-health, anti-life legislation. that healthcare is a human right disabilities. Cassidy-Graham which every human being is entitled includes extreme cuts to Medicaid, Bishop William Barber II to. The Graham-Cassidy healthcare undermines critical protections for Repairers of the Breach, Goldsboro, repeal bill is in violation of that individuals with pre-existing NC human right. It threatens millions of conditions, shifts billions of dollars This bill is racist and takes health people, children, elderly, those with onto states, and will cause tens of care from millions of African pre-existing conditions and those millions of Americans to lose health Americans being peddled with a made poor by our unjust economic coverage. Moreover, advancing this states rights agenda. It is a form of system. We add our national voice legislation will destroy the economic injustice that will hurt the to repeal this unjust piece of productive and bipartisan work poor who are mostly white. Bad for legislation. currently taking place. Rather than America. trying to force through yet another Colin Christopher rushed, ultra-partisan, dysfunctional Valarie Kaur Islamic Society of North America, health care proposal that causes The Revolutionary Love Project, Los Washington, DC millions of Americans to lose health Angeles, CA We have a moral obligation in this coverage, Congress should refocus As a Sikh, an American, a lawyer, country to care for those who are back on the bipartisan negotiations and a mother, I ask Congress to young, elderly, sick, or unable to so desperately needed to stabilize protect healthcare for millions of fend for themselves. If we can build the insurance markets and lower Americans who most need it. the mightiest defense system the health care costs. healthcare that guarantees dignity Rev. Margaret Marvell Jim Winkler and the right to quality care to all. Madison, IN National Council of Churches, We urge Senators to reject Graham- Washington, DC Cassidy and seek a bipartisan Baha'i Graham-Cassidy is bad legislation solution. that will bring harm to millions of Fedros Samadani Americans. Faith leaders must Rabbi Jill Jacobs Baha'i Faith, Los Gatos, CA name this reality and call on our T'ruah: The Rabbinic Call for elected leaders to do no harm and Human Rights, New York, NY Barbara McCord vote against this bill. Our insistence on the moral duty of Baha'i Community of Oak Ridge, the government to ensure health Oak Ridge, TN Dr. Noel Castellanos care for all comes from our CCDA, Chicago, IL grounding both in human rights, Baptist (Including American As people of faith we lift our voices and in Jewish teachings. Rabbi Baptist, Alliance of Baptists and to declare to our lawmakers that Eliezer Waldenberg, one of the most Cooperative Baptist Fellowship) eliminating healthcare for millions important twentieth-century legal of vulnerable Americans is shameful authorities, notes, “When poor Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews and immoral. To do so is putting people are ill and cannot afford PICO National Network, San Jose, politics over the needs of people medical expenses, the community CA and cannot be justified. Fix ACA so sends a doctor to visit them, and the more Americans can get coverage, medicine is paid for by the Rev. Pamela Washburn don't obliterate it at the expense of communal fund.” (Tzitz Eliezer 5:4) Healthcare Organization, Camarillo, the poor. And Rabbi Shlomo Goren, former CA Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel declares, “the government may not Rev. Tami Higdon excuse itself from responsibility Alliance of Baptists, Gainesville, FL Sheila Gilbert toward the sick since the Society of St. Vincent dePaul, government is responsible for the Rev. Dr. Dean Allen Indianapolis, IN health of the people.” (Assia journal Bluewater Community Church, 21:40) The Universal Declaration of Niceville, FL Sister Patricia McDermott RSM Human Rights requires that all Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, countries provide “standard of living Debra Gish Silver Spring, MD adequate for the health and well- Gish, Paz & Associates, Lake Alfred, The Sisters of Mercy, who have been being of himself and of his family, FL providing healthcare services for including ... medical care.” people who are poor and vulnerable Rev. James Lamkin for nearly 175 years in the U.S., Rev. Dr. Katharine Henderson Northside Drive Baptist Church, believe that access to health care Auburn Theological Seminary, New Atlanta, GA and adequate health insurance York, NY coverage is a fundamental human Rev.