WASHINGTON, July 13 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Thursday after Senate Republicans released the revised version of their plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act:

“The revised Republican ‘health care’ plan is an absolute disaster that will inflict severe economic pain on millions of Americans. That is why it is opposed by virtually every major health care organization in this country – by doctors, nurses and hospital administrators. Make no mistake about it, thousands of Americans every year will die unnecessarily if this legislation is passed. This bill will still throw millions of Americans off of health insurance by cutting Medicaid by nearly $800 billion over the next decade. It will still force older Americans to pay five times as much for health insurance than anyone else. It will still take away health care from 2.5 million women by defunding Planned Parenthood. And it will still provide nearly $200 billion in tax breaks to big health insurance companies, drug companies, the medical device industry and tanning salons. Let’s be clear: the Republican bill is fatally flawed and no small tweak here or there will undo the massive damage that it will cause to Vermont and the entire country. It must be defeated.”