'Save Our Health Care' Rally Planned for Sunday in Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, VA -- As Republicans begin to dismantle the Affordable Care Act enacted by President Obama in 2010, lawmakers from Northern Virginia plan to lead a rally in Alexandria to save it. On Sunday, at 1:15 p.m., Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-11th) and Sen. Mark Warner will host a rally to hear stories from Northern Virginia families about what the Affordable Care Act means to them.

President-elect Donald Trump has said that getting rid of the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, will be one of his first priorities once taking office next Friday, Jan. 20. More than 20 million Americans are covered under the law.

Doors for the rally will open at 1 p.m. and the event is open to the public. One story shared will be Liz Salter's, who suffers from Fabry Disease and no longer has to worry about being denied coverage due to a pre-existing condition or hitting a lifetime spending cap.

Another rally will be held Sunday in Richmond with Sen. Tim Kaine, Gov. Terry McAuliffe, Congressman Bobby Scott and Congressman Don McEachin at the Capitol.

Rep. Don Beyer took to the floor of the House Friday to assail the Republican proposal to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

“Together we've made significant progress on our budget deficits, but blowing up Obamacare will blow up our national debt [and be] the most fiscally irresponsible act since we waged two wars without paying for them," said Rep. Don Beyer. "Repeal will cause the state of Virginia to lose up to 100,000 jobs and $50 billion in business output."

Beyer voted against the budget measure, S. Con. Res. 3, considered to be the first step toward a GOP attempt to repeal the landmark healthcare reform which brought coverage to tens of millions of Americans. The bill passed on a party-line vote.

Senate Republicans have already taken a step toward repealing the Affordable Care Act. Thursday, they approved a budget blueprint that would allow them to gut the health care law without threat of a Democratic filibuster, the New York Times reported. The vote was 51 to 48.

“Anybody who thinks it is a good idea to repeal the ACA without even the hint of a viable replacement plan does not understand how markets work," Warner said in a statement after the vote. "The uncertainty created by this flawed, political strategy will fundamentally destabilize the healthcare system. More than 20 million Americans will be left in the lurch, including nearly 700,000 Virginians. There is a smarter way to do this, and I have long advocated for targeted, commonsense improvements to the ACA that will reduce costs and ease requirements on employers. But this “show vote” to repeal it without a plan to replace it is bad for businesses, bad for Virginians, and will bring chaos to the healthcare market.”

Kaine said after the vote: “Last night, Senate Republicans moved our country one step closer to health care chaos," he said. "I voted against the budget resolution because I believe it’s health care malpractice – as well as economic malpractice – to jumpstart a legislative process that would result in hundreds of thousands of Virginia families being kicked off their insurance coverage with no plan for a replacement in sight. We should be working to fix our health care system, not break it.”

During the roll call, Democrats staged an unusual protest on the Senate floor to express their dismay and anger at the prospect that millions of Americans could lose health insurance coverage.

Kaine set up a Web page where anyone can share their health insurance coverage story.

The rally Sunday will be held at the Charles Houston Rec Center at 901 Wythe St. in Alexandria (see map below).

PHOTO: Sen. Mark Warner, Congressman Gerry Connolly/official U.S. Senate/U.S. House photos