Steve Stivers (R-OH), the chair of the NRCC, told the NY Times a few days ago that the Republicans had to pass Ryan's TrumpCare bill to "keep our own base excited." But even the GOP base isn't excited. A new poll shows 78% of Hillary voters strongly opposed to it while just 23% of Trump voters are strongly in favor of it. After Ileana Ros-Lehtinen denounced the Ryan plan to devastate Medicaid in order to further enrich America's wealthiest families, the two other South Florida Republicans, Mario Diaz-Balart and Carlos Curbelo, started making noises to indicate that they were "undecided" about TrumpCare 3.0 and might vote against it. Had they, it would have failed with a 215-215 tie, instead of a 217-213 win (win for Ryan and Trump; loss for the American people).Last year Dr. Alina Valdes, a dedicated physician for the disenfranchised and marginalized poor, most of whom, she's told us, "have at least two jobs and find it hard to make ends meet, took on Diaz-Balart with no help from the DCCC, no help from the Florida Democratic Party and no help from Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who was busy trying to wipe out all traces of Democrats who backed Bernie and his progressive platform. Diaz-Balart spent $1,512,687 against her $37,074 grassroots campaign. She still managed to take 95,319 votes. She's determined to do much better in 2018. She told us that it's been an honor for her to care for the health for 3 decades of the disadvantaged people who are her patients. "Since the ACA went into effect," she told us, "many of these patients finally had the opportunity to see a doctor for the first time in their lives. Others were finally able to see a doctor for chronic conditions long ignored due to lack of resources and inability to qualify for affordable health insurance. They were either too 'well off' to be eligible for Medicaid but too poor to afford private health insurance." She wrote a guest post for us about her differences with Diaz-Balart on public health policy.
There is nothing wrong with the ACA that can't be fixed; it has provided health insurance for millions Americans since its implementation. Private insurers have been whining about how they cannot continue to provide health care to all with the regulations and fees set up to protect the consumer, but a quick look at the stock market shows that they are raking in record profits.Now the House Republicans have launched a cruel and vicious attack on the health care for the most vulnerable and needy in our society after having finally garnished enough votes in their quest to repeal and replace the ACA or Obamacare. The AHCA or Trumpcare rolls back just about all the protections that were afforded by the ACA and allows insurance companies to set the rules again about who and what they will cover. They have basically passed a bill that would give massive tax breaks to the wealthy and well connected while denying affordable healthcare to the most needy.After this vote was taken on Thursday, I decided to run against the same man I challenged in 2016 and one of the supporters of the bill, Mario Diaz-Balart, U.S, Congressman, FL CD-25. He is one of Trump's most ardent supporters and approves of denying healthcare to his constituents, many of whom live in Hialeah, a city in Miami-Dade county with the highest enrollment in the ACA last year. Instead of following the will of his constituents, Diaz-Balart has chosen to follow the Republican Party line of giving to the rich while taking from the poor. Many of these hard working Americans will be left without health insurance yet again so their Representative can take special interest and lobbyist money to line his pockets. This law will also affect Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements making it harder for the elderly to be able to afford added costs to their premiums, co-pays and deductibles.Diaz-Balart also has another ulterior motive... to have the Trump administration roll back the diplomatic gains the Obama administration made towards Cuba. He is a man with a mission and a family grudge dating back to his father and the Batista regime. He has been hell bent on punishing the Castros for what they have done to his family 58 years ago when Mario was not even a twinkle in his parents' eyes. All he has managed to do in this regard is to hurt the Cuban people by continuing an embargo that has long outlived its usefulness.My views on healthcare are completely different than those of Diaz-Balart... we need to add the public option back into the ACA and let the free market decide as most Republicans keep saying they want to do. They, however, do not include this as one of the logical choices in any healthcare plan because it will once and for all conclude in a one-payer health system. This is ultimately what we need to work towards... a system that covers all from birth to death regardless of their ability to pay. As I have advocated for over 30 years and reinforced in my treatment of the poor, HEALTH CARE IS A HUMAN RIGHT and should be available to all Americans.My name is Alina Valdes, MD, a proud American, Cuban immigrant, and physician to the needy and I am running for FL CD-25 as a Democrat for the 2018 elections. I hereby challenge Mr. Diaz-Balart to a debate on healthcare, during which time he will have the opportunity to defend his yes vote on the AHCA. Please support my campaign by donating what you can to help me defeat this incumbent who no longer has his finger on the pulse of his district.
