WHEREAS, Over the past decade, California has taken strides in enacting policies to advance its priorities in the areas of health care access, immigration, and worker protection; and
WHEREAS, The programs and services established in partnership with the federal government have provided California with a platform to be a pioneer in key areas where it goes above and beyond to ensure the state’s values are reflected in our policies; and
WHEREAS, One of the key goals of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148) (ACA) is to reduce the number of uninsured through an expansion of Medicaid and the creation of new health insurance exchange marketplaces with tax credits to help moderate-income individuals purchase coverage; and
WHEREAS, The United States Department of Health and Human Services released a report showing that the amount of uninsured Californians has fallen by 54 percent since the implementation of the ACA, resulting in 3,826,000 gaining coverage; and
WHEREAS, Data shows that out-of-pocket health insurance costs to Black families declined by over 25 percent as a result of those who newly gained coverage; and
WHEREAS, Medicaid covers over half of Black children, which helps to substantially fill their gap in private coverage; and
WHEREAS, Given that the majority of uninsured Blacks have incomes below the Medicaid expansion limit, they will be significantly impacted by state decisions regarding Medicaid. In the absence of the expansion, poor uninsured adults will not gain a new coverage option and likely remain uninsured; and
WHEREAS, California opposes any federal actions that eliminate or erode the Medicaid expansion or compromise health care access through the ACA; and
WHEREAS, California has served as a bastion of diversity and has a population of 10 million immigrants, representing 25 percent of the immigrant population in the United States; and
WHEREAS, California has been aggressive in enacting policies that ensure a just and humane balance is struck when regulating local law enforcement interactions with United States Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for purposes of deportation; and
WHEREAS, Blacks make up 7 percent of the total United States immigrant population but represent almost 11 percent of deportations under ICE; and
WHEREAS, California opposes any federal actions that erode the current protections established and support policies that ensure local law enforcement is able to maintain trust with the communities they are policing; and
WHEREAS, In 2015, one out of every six workers in California was a member of a labor union, representing 2.5 million in total; and
WHEREAS, According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Black workers were more likely to be union members than were White, Asian, or Hispanic workers; and
WHEREAS, California’s economy has benefited greatly from the rights and benefits that unions have fought for historically, including the recent increase in the state minimum wage; and
WHEREAS, California opposes any federal action that would impose right-to-work requirements or compromise California’s ability to act independently in ensuring worker protection; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the California State Assembly opposes any federal actions that would compromise any of the aforementioned policy positions and opposes congressional actions that would repeal or limit the critical protections and services currently being provided at the federal level; and be it further
Resolved, That the California State Assembly will fight back by doing everything within its power to safeguard current provisions for health care affordability, immigrant opportunity, and worker protection; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, the Majority Leader and Minority Leader of the United States Senate, each member of the California delegation to the United States Congress, and the Governor of California.