Press Releases

Washington, DC – As House Republicans are preparing for a vote to repeal health care reform, U.S. Congresswoman Gwen Moore (D-Milwaukee) is fighting to keep protections for women and tax credits for moderate and low-income families.

Congresswoman Moore, Chair of the Democratic Women’s Working Group said, “For half of our population, simply being born female was a pre-existing condition.  We fixed that.  But Republicans want to take that protection away.”

Women were among those who had the most to gain from health insurance reform.  If the law were repealed, women would no longer be protected from:

• Discriminatory Gender Rating in Health Insurance Premiums.  If the law were repealed, insurance companies again would be able to charge women more than men for the same coverage.
• Pre-Existing Condition Denial of Coverage:  If the law were repealed, insurance companies could again deny women health insurance on the basis of pre-existing conditions, which have included pregnancy, c-sections, or having been a victim of domestic violence. 

Moore led 45 of her colleagues in writing to Speaker Boehner about how repealing the law would be devastating for women.  A copy of the letter can be read here .

Moore also co-authored an amendment, which would have preserved tax credits for moderate and low-income people to help buy health insurance.  Her amendment was blocked by the House Rules Committee.

Congresswoman Moore said, “Families at the brink of poverty are set to receive a tax credit to help them afford health insurance.   Republicans must think that these families don’t need help.  And after all their rhetoric about tax cuts stimulating the economy and not adding to the deficit, what’s wrong with helping families ease the burden of paying their monthly premiums?”

A final vote on the repeal measure is expected next week