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Reps. Wasserman Schultz, Deutch Discuss Dangers Of Repealing Obamacare

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FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) -- Two congressional representatives from Florida held a round table discussion Friday highlighting the "dangerous and reckless partisan games" surrounding President-elect Donald Trump's threat to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Affordable Care Act Discussion
Members of Congress join healthcare advocates in Ft. Lauderdale for a discussion preventing the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. (Source: CBS4)

Congressman Ted Deutch (FL-21) and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23) sat down with about two dozen representatives from organizations like AARP, Broward Health, Planned Parenthood and the United Way to stop what they call the "games being played with people's access to life-saving care."

"The fact is there are 225-million Americans who benefit from the Affordable Care Act, 20-million who have access to insurance for the first time, another 55-million seniors who benefit from the strengthening of Medicare and 150-million Americans whose policies through their employers now contain consumer protections that never existed before, no lifetime limits, no annual limits, the pre-existing condition discrimination has ended," stated Congressman Deutch. "If you do away with the Affordable Care Act you lose all of that and people won't get access to the care they need and that would have a devastating impact."

Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz urged everyone to mobilize to reject the repeal of the Affordable Care Act.

"We will fight tooth and nail to do that for them to repeal, lock stock and barrel, all of the Affordable Care Act. Make no mistake that they can really do some significant damage that will dramatically alter and take away health care from most people if they proceed with their plans to repeal," said Wasserman Schultz.

Congressional Republicans, along with the President-elect, have repeatedly threatened to repeal the law, commonly known as Obamacare, that has helped give 20 million more Americans access to health insurance.

"Medicare recipients can now access free preventive screenings, which have helped slow the rate of health care costs," the panel said in a statement to the media. "Seniors have saved over $23.5 billion on prescription drugs by shrinking the 'donut hole.' Women cannot be discriminated against and young adults may remain under their parents' plans until the age of 26. Individuals with high-cost illnesses and disorders will not face bankruptcy from health expenses. People suffering from addictions will not be denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions."

In an interview on 60 Minutes, Trump shared a willingness to keep some of the healthcare law's components in place, like assured coverage for those with pre-existing conditions. However, his campaign was largely built on attacking President Obama's law.

"Either Obamacare will be amended, or repealed and replaced," Trump told the Wall Street Journal in November.

Still, opponents on the left say Trump and Republicans haven't offered up a better solution.

"Lacking a better alternative, due to their choice to waste years on political grandstanding against the law, the Republicans are setting the stage for a complete disaster as their first move in the new Congress," said Congressman Deutch. "And they must be stopped."

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