Smith needs more 'Nebraska Common Sense"

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Dear Editor,

Congressman Adrian Smith claims on his website that he has “earned praise for his leadership, hard work and dedication to Nebraska common sense.”

Was Rep. Smith using his “Nebraska common sense” by voting for the House “Repeal and Replace” of the Affordable Care Act before it was scored by the independent Congressional Budget Office?

This vote took place on May 4, Rep. Smith claimed on his website that “the process is working as it should”. Yet, almost three months later we have no “Repeal and Replace” bill, just a lot of confusion. It certainly does not seem like “the process is working as it should.”

Nebraskans are facing uncertainty in how to access health care services as Medicaid may be cut, pre-existing conditions may not be covered, marketplace insurance rates cannot be calculated and rural hospitals are facing a murky financial future. Nebraskans use their “common sense” to help out their neighbors by providing material aid when range fires rage, tornados and snowstorms hurt crops, livestock, families and our communities. We used our “Nebraska common sense” to organize cooperatives to bring in rural electrification systems, buy agricultural inputs and market our agricultural products. What “Nebraska common sense” is Rep. Smith using in voting to kick our neighbors off their health care plans and how can this mean that the “process is working as it should”?

Rep. Smith, you need to hear some “Nebraska common sense” about how the process to access affordable healthcare should work.

Jayne Lyons

McCook, Neb.

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