Greene County Democrat

Tag: Congresswoman Terri A. Sewell

  • Newswire: Rep. Sewell invites U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley to Alabama to confirm UN study findings on U.S. Poverty

    Rep. Sewell responds to Ambassador Haley’s dismissal of U.S. poverty

    Terri_Sewell,_Official_Portrait,_112th_Congress

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Tuesday, Congresswoman Terri A. Sewell (D-AL) sent a letter to United Nations (UN) Ambassador Nikki Haley, calling on Ambassador Haley to visit Alabama and confirm the findings of a recent study conducted by the UN Special Rapporteur for Extreme Poverty. Rep. Sewell’s letter is in response to Ambassador Haley’s claim that it was “patently ridiculous” for the United Nations to examine poverty in America.

    “It is not ‘patently ridiculous’ to call attention to extreme poverty in America, but it is ridiculous and shameful to disregard it and do nothing,” said Rep. Terri Sewell. “Every day, millions of American families struggle to put food on the table for their families or afford basic necessities like a working wastewater system or primary health and dental care.

    Before Ambassador Haley dismisses the realities of severe poverty in America or families living in extreme distress, she should see for herself the economically marginalized and forgotten communities that struggle under the weight of generational poverty. In Alabama’s 7th Congressional District, the failure of wastewater infrastructure in some rural communities has created a health crisis that should not exist in modern-day America. I invite Ambassador Haley to my district to see firsthand the suffering that I have seen, and the issues that my constituents confront every day.”

    The full text of Rep. Sewell’s letter to Ambassador Haley is available on her website.

    The letter follows a response from Ambassador Haley after Rep. Sewell and Sen. Sanders wrote to the Ambassador urging a plan of action from the Trump Administration for addressing poverty in the wake of the U.N. report exposing poverty in the United States. Rep. Sewell met with Philip Alston, the UN Special Rapporteur for Extreme Poverty during his visit to the United States last year to investigate extreme poverty and make recommendations.

  • Newswire : Rep. Sewell statement on passage of Republican budget

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    Terri Sewell

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – On last Thursday, October 26. 2017, Congresswoman Terri A. Sewell (D-AL) voted against the Republican budget, which passed the House of Representatives without Democratic support.

    “I voted against today’s budget because it trades away critical investments in infrastructure, education, job-training, and health care programs in exchange for short-sighted tax cuts for special interests and the wealthy,” said Rep. Sewell.

    “As our country faces serious fiscal challenges, we need to make responsible budgeting decisions that build a foundation for job growth, better wages, and improved economic and health outcomes. Instead, today’s budget relies on gimmicks and irresponsible cuts to make way for a special interest tax plan that adds $1.5 trillion to the deficit.”

    “For our state in particular, the Republican budget will have a devastating impact on hardworking families, businesses, hospitals, and schools. This budget would slash Medicare and Medicaid by $1.5 trillion, impacting over a million Alabamians who rely on these programs for care.

    The budget also cuts $37 billion in funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), through which our district receives more than $240 million annually for health research. Put simply, this budget pays for tax cuts for special interests and the wealthy on the backs of Alabama’s working families.”

  • Rep. Sewell Statement on CBO Analysis of GOP Repeal Bill

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    Washington, D.C. – Today, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released projections of how many Americans would gain or lose insurance under the Republican proposal to repeal the Affordable Care Act as well as cost projections for the proposed bill. The CBO analysis comes nearly a week after the Ways & Means Committee considered and voted to advance the Republican repeal bill. Congresswoman Terri A. Sewell voted against the repeal bill in committee.
    “The CBO report released today makes one thing clear: the Republican repeal bill will cost American lives and leave millions uninsured,” said Rep. Terri Sewell. “Under this bill, 14 million Americans would lose their insurance within the next year. Over the next decade, that number would rise to an unsustainable 24 million uninsured Americans. Our healthcare infrastructure, from our rural hospitals to our network of family physicians, cannot withstand that kind of blow to health coverage. I believe that all Americans have a right to affordable healthcare, but this legislation turns healthcare into a privilege. For families in my district, the Republican repeal bill means more expensive coverage with fewer protections. We cannot ask working Americans to go broke, bankrupt, or do without healthcare.”
    Today’s report from the CBO and Joint Committee on Taxation shows that by 2018, five million fewer people would be covered under Medicaid, six million fewer Americans would be covered in the individual market, and a total of 14 million more Americans would be without insurance. The CBO report estimates that in 2018 and 2019, average premiums for single policyholders in the non-group market would rise 15 to 20 percent under the GOP repeal bill.
    In addition, the report shows that low-income seniors will see premium increases of $12,900, while the average 40 year old will see an average premium increase of $700. CBO projects that the actuarial value of all plans will decrease under the AHCA.