We are urging Congressman Rob Wittman (R, VA 1st District) to support and defend the Affordable Care Act, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. ADD YOUR NAME to the letter!

We will deliver this letter by hand to Rep. Wittman's Hanover office along with handwritten signatures from our office visit on February 25 (event: OurRevolution, MoveOn).

Sponsored by Elizabeth Polster, Williamsburg Huddles (Women's March), in Williamsburg, Virginia.

The Honorable Robert Wittman

6501 Mechanicsville Turnpike #102

Mechanicsville, Virginia 23111

Congressman Wittman:

We are writing to urge you to support and defend the Affordable Care Act. Our country must continue to guarantee high quality and affordable healthcare coverage for all Americans.

We recognize that the ACA is imperfect. We welcome the opportunity for our lawmakers to pursue critical improvements: to make coverage more affordable, expand consumer choice, and increase the number of insured. We want to work toward the stabilization of insurance markets by bringing more young people in, without disadvantaging elderly or ill people. We look forward to balancing premiums by emphasising preventive and primary care now, and reducing costs in the future as people become healthier.

However, any changes to the plan which would lessen the number of Americans with health insurance, or the quality of their care, are not improvements and are not acceptable.

The enactment of a "repeal, delay, and replace" bill -- especially without a viable and clear alternative being offered which can be evaluated for its impact on coverage, quality, and accessibility -- could be devastating.

In addition, we are extremely concerned about GOP promises to defund Planned Parenthood, which is critical to providing sexual education, preventive care, and family planning services in this country. We stand resolutely against gender and reproductive discrimination in health insurance costs and coverage. We insist on comprehensive mental health coverage as an essential benefit, especially for the most disadvantaged in society, to protect the well-being of us all. We strongly resist reductions in Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security benefits.

Congressman Wittman, this is not a party issue. For many of our fellow citizens, this is a matter of life or death.

Thank you,

Constituents of the First District of Virginia