On Saturday, Rep. Pete Aguilar hosted a health care roundtable with Inland Empire providers and patient advocacy organizations to discuss House Republicans’ bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and the impact this will have on the community.

“I convened this meeting because it’s critical that I hear from local providers and advocacy organizations about how this health care bill will affect Inland Empire families’ ability to access quality and affordable care,” said Rep. Aguilar. He continued, “Democrats have asked Republicans to work together for years to improve the Affordable Care Act. Rather than work together to make our current system work for all Americans, Republicans drafted a new bill in secret, concealed it from the public and rammed it through two committee markup sessions in less than 48 hours. This is not how governing should work. We cannot risk stripping millions of people of their health insurance, including those in San Bernardino County, so House Republicans can pass a bill they don’t even know the full repercussions of.”

Rep. Aguilar was joined by a dozen representatives from regional health care providers, unions, patient advocacy organizations and the San Bernardino County Government. The new bill in question, the American Health Care Act, has yet to receive a score by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The CBO’s score is a determinant in projected costs and effectiveness (in terms of health care coverage) of the bill.

Rep. Aguilar has a proven record of working with Republicans to improve the Affordable Care Act. He has cosponsored bipartisan legislation to repeal the ACA’s tax on health insurance plans and on medical device manufacturers. Rep. Aguilar is committed to working with his colleagues in Congress to ensure Inland Empire families have access to quality health care and opposes measures that threaten affordable coverage for middle-class Americans.