the fight for the affordable care act is not over, here’s what you can do

If you’re like me and are one of the millions of Americans who relies on ACA for affordable healthcare access, you’re probably confused, uncertain, and afraid about our future access. Times are dark, but all is not lost. To clear up some confusion, last week the GOP took the first steps in repealing Obamacare by passing a budget resolution that would pull funding for certain crucial aspects of ACA, like tax credits for low-income folks. Now that the resolution has passed both houses of Congress, Republicans will us it to pave their path to a full repeal. Consider last week’s vote under the cloak of darkness to be the pre-repeal. Next, lawmakers must write and pass an official bill repealing the Affordable Care Act itself. This is likely to happen very soon. Andrew Prokop wrote a very comprehensive piece on the steps needed to repeal and replace Obamacare for Vox.comto help unpack what that must look like.

Here’s the good news: the fight far from over and there are real things you and I can do to apply pressure to lawmakers. Leaving tens of millions of Americans uninsured is an incredibly unpopular amongst most—even with Trump supporters who voted against their interests, but are now panicked about what losing coverage themselves. One of the simplest things you can do to fight back is to call your local representatives, ask them to protect the life-saving program, and use your voice to hold those who represent you accountable.

Click here to find out who you representatives are. Need a script? Here is a short and sweet one to get started.

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*Erin White is an Atlanta-based writer and AFROPUNK’s editorial and social media assistant. You can follow her on Tumblr or friend her on Facebook. Have a pitch or an inquiry? Shoot her an email at erin@afropunk.com.