In one of the first major showdowns between working families and the regressive White House agenda, the people claimed victory. Your solidarity is what made the critical difference. When first introduced, most Republicans fell in line with their party. But by writing, calling, and pressuring Congress to vote “No”, working families made their voices heard. One by one Congressional support dwindled, ultimately resulting in the bill being pulled. Once again, this would not have been possible without the persistent and united efforts of the labor movement and its community allies.
In New Jersey, Democratic Representatives in Congress had our back from the get-go and we thank them for their unwavering support. We further applaud nearly all of our Republican Representatives who courageously stood with working families at this crucial moment. Tom MacArthur was the only Representative from New Jersey not to express opposition to the bill.
This victory is evidence that even with the odds stacked against us, solidarity will allow us to prevail. This is one of the many battles that we will face, but as long as we are united there is no challenge we can’t overcome.
The stinging defeat of TrumpCare is likely to have a major impact on this administration, which clearly needs to rethink its policy approach. The reform that this country needs is reform that puts working families first.
Talk will only get you so far; that is the hard lesson that Donald Trump learned today. The country saw TrumpCare for what it really was and acted accordingly. Once again, the critical factor was each and every one of you.