In his effort to enact health care reform in 1912, President Theodore Roosevelt described the importance of health care best when he said, “No country can be strong if its people are sick and poor.” These sentiments ring as true today as they did then. Health care is an essential right, and a healthy America is a more productive, safer and better place to call home.

I was proud that one of my earliest votes in Congress was for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) because it ensures that millions of Americans have access to affordable, quality health care. In light of the House vote in favor of the American Health Care Act, I will continue to fight—through the appropriations process and otherwise—to protect Americans with preexisting conditions and ensuring quality, affordable care for all. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I have fought to fund some of the Fifth District’s most important health programs like Planned Parenthood, community health centers  and HIV prevention. I’ve worked to advance critical research and development and fully fund the National Institutes for Health (NIH), which supports groundbreaking developments in cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and countless other conditions.

Unfortunately, Republicans in the White House and in Congress put politics over people by pursuing a bill that will cause tens of millions of Americans to lose coverage. Quality, affordable care is a right for all, including for our seniors and those with pre-existing conditions who will now be forced to pay considerably higher out-of-pocket costs under this bill. The American people have made their voices clear in strong opposition to this dangerous legislation. They want us to improve and strengthen Affordable Care Act, not destroy it.