[Washington, DC]—UNITE HERE, an organization representing 270,000 working people across North America, is launching a national week of action today with delegations of voters to Congressional district offices across the country. Actions are accompanied by a major ad campaign targeting GOP members of Congress who refuse to fix the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In particular, workers are protesting the “Trumpcare Tax” proposed by House Republicans in the replacement plan, which stands as one of the largest tax increases on American working families in modern times.

“The GOP is replacing Obamacare with Trumpcare, which will destroy the best aspects of the ACA while imposing one of the largest tax increases on the American middle class ever leveled by a political party,” said Mike Casey, Chairperson of UNITE HERE’s Health Care Task Force and long-time leader for working families. “Over 177 million Americans who depend on employer- based health care for their health and well-being will soon be hit with a double-whammy by the GOP Trumpcare plan: a huge new tax on their health benefits followed by higher premiums, higher deductibles and less access to quality care. The GOP is walking the plank with Trumpcare and will soon be swimming with the wrath of an American middle class furious with their dramatic tax increase and cut in health care benefits.”

The national week of action brings together voters from across the country demanding a fair, commonsense healthcare reboot that doesn’t further punish the 177 million working Americans who receive health coverage through their employer and who have seen their deductibles skyrocket by 63 percent on average over the last five years. The current ad campaign will start this week with a six-figure investment and will initially focus on five incumbent members of Congress including GOP representatives Ann Wagner (R-MO), Steve Knight (R-CA), Darrell Issa (R-CA), Barbara Comstock (R-VA) and Luke Messer (R-IN). Ads can be viewed at www.DontTaxOurHealthcare.com.

“Working Americans for Affordable Healthcare PAC” helps to elect candidates and support incumbent elected officials who will vote to make our health system more affordable, accessible and cost-effective; help defeat candidates who have voted or will vote to undermine more affordable healthcare; and to educate the public to vote for those who will act in the interest of our citizens’ health.

Concluded Casey, “Members of Congress like Ann Wagner, Steve Knight, Darrell Issa, Barbara Comstock and Luke Messer and all the rest get first-class healthcare thanks to U.S. taxpayers, and they get it for life. Yet they have the audacity to consider asking those same taxpayers to pay more in taxes in order to settle for second-class healthcare. We will fight them in Congress and see them at the ballot box.”

UNITE HERE is a labor union that represents 270,000 working people across North America in the hotel, gaming, food service, manufacturing, textile, distribution, laundry, transportation, and airport industries.