ACOG Praises Defeat of the Graham-Cassidy Health Care Bill

Washington, DC—Haywood L. Brown, M.D., president of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), released the following statement in response to Senate Majority Leader McConnell pulling the vote on the Graham-Cassidy health care bill:

“We are pleased by the failure of the Graham-Cassidy health care legislation. The bill presented a threat to millions of Americans’ access to care, particularly women and children who would have suffered the greatest losses.

“ACOG applauds Senators who stood up for patients over cheap partisan politics, especially Democratic Senators who have never wavered in their effort to protect coverage, and the Republican Senators who crossed party lines to prioritize the well-being of their constituents and put the health of our patients over politics. This victory is also in large part due to thousands of ob-gyns and patient advocates who made endless calls, emails, faxes, and visits to Capitol Hill to defeat this dangerous legislation. Your efforts have, yet again, protected landmark women’s health care gains and ensured millions of women will continue to get the care they need.

“As we near the end of a year marked by repeated attempts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, ACOG urges the U.S. Congress to put aside secretive, rushed and partisan attacks on health care, and instead pursue an open and bipartisan process via regular order to make needed improvements to our health care system.

“We stand ready to work with the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate to develop an informed, evidence-based approach to reducing health care costs and improving our health care system. As we move forward, ACOG remains steadfast in its commitment to comprehensive women’s health care, and will continue to oppose any effort to turn back the clock on women’s health.”

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (The College), a 501(c)(3) organization, is the nation’s leading group of physicians providing health care for women. As a private, voluntary, nonprofit membership organization of more than 58,000 members, The College strongly advocates for quality health care for women, maintains the highest standards of clinical practice and continuing education of its members, promotes patient education, and increases awareness among its members and the public of the changing issues facing women’s health care. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), a 501(c)(6) organization, is its companion organization. www.acog.org