Manuel Lujan: “This Republican majority's effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act is bad legislation that would undermine significant…”

“This Republican majority's effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act is bad legislation that would undermine significant advancements of the delivery of health care services to all Americans. But let me be clear: this bill would repeal the single-most important Federal law that governs the delivery of health care to our first Americans, Native Americans. It's an assault on our Federal responsibility to tribal communities who, without the Indian health care system, would not have meaningful access to health care services. Our Republican majority swept the rug out from Native American women and took them out of the act to protect them from domestic violence. This act that Republicans have put before us would hurt people in a very serious way. The act makes possible long-awaited improvements to the Indian health care delivery system by providing authority to provide cancer screenings, dialysis, as well as all hospice and elder care, recruit more qualified health professionals, modernize dated health facilities, and establish comprehensive behavioral health initiatives. Mr. Speaker, we need to reject this health plan, and we need to reject this effort by Republicans which is causing harm to Native Americans across America.”