Andrew Wyrich

Staff Writer @AndrewWyrich

MONTCLAIR – Sen. Cory Booker railed against the Republican replacement for the Affordable Care Act as he visited a Planned Parenthood facility in Montclair early Monday morning.

The American Health Care Act – the name of the GOP replacement bill that would “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act – would reduce overall federal spending on reproductive care for women by $178 million in 2017, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, and block approximately $400 million in Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood.

Booker, a Democrat, called the changes in the American Health Care Act “stunning” and said he and other Democrats are trying to convince Republican colleagues to reconsider the bill.

“Right now the push is trying to convince our Republican colleagues to not let such an awful bill pass,” Booker said. “This is not fiscally responsible – it’s actually going to cost New Jersey a lot more money, America a lot more money. We all know putting money into programs like Planned Parenthood – they do preventative care – is far cheaper than dealing with the cost of care when situations become far more acute. I’m hoping common sense prevails.”

Planned Parenthood currently operates 26 centers in New Jersey – including centers in Paterson, Englewood, Hackensack, Montclair and Newark. Booker spoke of the “humanitarian” services Planned Parenthood provides, such as cancer screenings, medical tests and family planning; he referred to personal testimonies women have given him lauding the organization’s programs.

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The Republican health-care plan would end Medicaid reimbursement for any services patients receive at Planned Parenthood sites. Planned Parenthood said many of its patients rely on Medicaid. Booker said the new Republican bill would force Planned Parenthood centers to shut down across the country and prevent women from receiving health care.

“This new Republican bill – Trumpcare – is going to be preventing these reimbursements and as a result of preventing these reimbursements, they are going to be costing us money,” Booker said.

The bill would also tighten restrictions around abortion: It would not allow tax credits for any health-care plan covering abortion except in cases of rape, incest or endangerment to the life of the mother.

Booker, who sat with board members and staff of New Jersey’s Planned Parenthood organization, urged people to call elected officials and make their voices heard regarding the GOP’s health-care bill.

“This is just a moral call,” Booker said. “In [New Jersey], half a million people were able to get expanded access to health care. To take that away from New Jerseyans? To deny them mental health coverage, to deny them critical access to prescription drugs and see those costs go up? All of this is unacceptable in this bill. We should all in New Jersey – Republican and Democrat – join in saying ‘You know what? I’m not going to see the costs of health care in my state go sky high and the cost to working class New Jerseyans go up for a Republican bill that, to me, lacks soul.’ ”

Email: wyrich@nothjersey.com Twitter: @AndrewWyrich