Will 200,000 preventable deaths melt Roskam's cold, cold, heart

Looking across the table at my Congressman Peter Roskam at a hastily gathered meeting of three constituents to quell a protest at his April appearance with Glen Ellyn village leaders, I offered this comment: "Sir, you've spent the last 8 years striving to defeat, defund, derail the Affordable Care Act which has prevented over 50,000 deaths since passage. That sir is unconscionable." Roskam's response was about as heartless as can be imagined: "Well, some of my constituents are complaining their premiums have gone up under the Affordable Care Act (ACA)." That is demonstrable sophistry; a false argument to deceive voters. And it will not stand if those voters will comprehend the enormous cruelty Roskam is enabling with his support of Trump's American Health Care Act. Trumpcare is simply a massive tax giveaway to the wealthiest Americans, with 40 % of those cuts going to members of the annual million dollar income club. But it's human cruelty that must truly grab our attention: 22 million losing health insurance over 10 years. So what, you ask? That 22 million losing their health lifeline will suffer 200,000 plus preventable deaths over that decade of despair Roskam will tout as an accomplishment in his re-election bid next year if it passes. Least you think that is hyperbole, it comes from Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Krugman citing Congressional Budget Office and medical researchers' analysis regarding Romney's Massachusetts model for the ACA. Based on before and after study it showed that for every 830 folks added to health insurance rolls, one preventable death is avoided. Do the math and those 22 million losing health insurance under Roskamcare will generate well over 200,000 preventable deaths. 

I'm certain Congressman Roskam doesn't want them to die. But when making their ballot for Congress next year, Sixth District residents should ponder whether that irrelevant truth justifies returning such a heartless human being to vote on life saving national policy.