Big Win for Kids with Withdrawal of Effort to Repeal Health Care Law

Statement from James P. Steyer, Founder and CEO of Common Sense Media

Common Sense Media
Friday, March 24, 2017

Kids and families across the country are big winners as Congress chose to withdraw its plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Under the Affordable Care Act and other programs, 95 percent of America's kids have health insurance. The plan to repeal the law would have resulted in 24 million more Americans without health insurance, including millions of children. Common Sense Media Founder and CEO, Jim Steyer, said that Congress should focus its attention on ensuring all children have the resources they need to thrive.

"It is essential that children and their parents can afford to see a doctor when they are sick and to get regular checkups to stay healthy," said Steyer. "It is one of the bedrocks of ensuring that all children can thrive. I have been very concerned that by repealing the health care law, that today helps to insure almost all of our children, Congress would cause great harm to millions of kids and families. I am greatly relieved that the seven-year effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act appears to be dead, at least for now. There are other threats to kids that loom on the horizon and I hope that Congress shows enormous caution going forward when it comes to the health and well-being of America's kids and their parents."