Last night, after the Trump Justice Department filed its brief in the Texas lawsuit arguing that the Supreme Court should strike down the Affordable Care Act, Democratic leaders from across the country reacted with condemnation and a call to defend the law and the protections it guarantees to every America.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): “There Is No Viable Legal Argument And No Moral Defense For The Devastation The Trump Administration Is Asking The Court To Inflict On Americans’ Health Care.” “There is no viable legal argument and no moral defense for the devastation the Trump Administration is asking the court to inflict on Americans’ health care. The Trump Administration owes the American people answers for why it is seeking to rip away protections for pre-existing conditions and cause such vast suffering for families across America.” [Speaker’s Office, 5/1/19]
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY): Trump Brief “Is Heartless And Wrong.” “The Trump administration’s brief arguing that the ACA is unconstitutional is heartless and wrong. Any Republican in Congress who refuses to oppose the DOJ’s action is complicit in their efforts to gut protections for people with pre-existing conditions and strip away health care from millions.” [Sen. Schumer Twitter, 5/1/19]
Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL): “The Trump Admin’s brief arguing the ACA is unconstitutional is wildly wrong. This is a heartless effort to gut protections for people with pre-existing conditions & strip away health care from millions. Republicans should stand with Democrats against it.” [Sen, Durbin Twitter, 5/2/19]
Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR): “If you have a pre-existing condition, are pregnant, need prescription medication, or struggle with mental illness, the Trump administration is coming for your health care coverage.” [Sen. Wyden Twitter, 5/2/19]
Senator Patty Murray (D-WA): “If President Trump wins against health care, families lose. They’ll lose their health care, lose protections for pre-existing conditions, and lose to insurance companies who will have free rein to deny coverage and leave patients to shoulder high costs.” [Sen. Murray Twitter, 5/1/19]
Attorney General Xavier Becerra (D-CA): “The Trump Administration chose to abandon ship in defending the #ACA and the hundreds of millions of Americans who depend on it for their medical care. Our legal coalition will vigorously defend the law and the Americans President Trump has abandoned.” [AG Becerra Twitter, 5/1/19]
Attorney General Josh Shapiro (D-PA): “Today in the news: AG Barr’s testimony to Congress. Today in court: Trump’s DOJ just filed a brief attempting to entirely dismantle the #ACA. We aren’t distracted – we’re focused on protecting people’s health care. #ACA is law of the land. Period.” [AG Shapiro Twitter, 5/1/19]
Attorney General Keith Ellison (D-MN): “The Trump Admin said yesterday they’re fine with endangering 2.3M Minnesotans with preexisting conditions & 2.7M who get free preventive care. When they won’t defend Americans, I’ll defend Minnesotans. That’s why I’m one of 21 AGs defending the ACA.” [AG Ellison Twitter, 5/2/19]
Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY): “Lying to the American people undermines rule of law. It must be called out. But the effort to take away healthcare protection from more than 100 million ppl w/ pre-existing conditions is a clear and present danger.House Dems will fight #ForThePeople.” [Rep. Jeffries Twitter, 5/2/19]
Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH): “This is completely unacceptable. The Trump admin is attempting to strip health care from millions of Americans & as many as 118,000 Granite Staters. My resolution directs the Trump admin to reverse course & defend Americans’ access to vital care and comprehensive coverage.” [Sen. Shaheen Twitter, 5/2/19]
Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT): “While all eyes were on the Barr hearing yesterday the Trump administration took a big step to try and strip health care away from millions of Americans.” [Sen. Murphy Twitter, 5/2/19]
Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA): “The President wants to take health care away from more than 20 million Americans. That sentence never gets any less horrifying.” [Sen. Kaine Twitter, 5/2/19]
Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH): “The Administration just filed a new brief arguing the entire ACA should be struck down – including protections for pre-existing conditions, Medicaid expansion and more. We can’t let this get lost in all the news today. #ProtectOurCare.” [Sen. Hassan Twitter, 5/1/19]
Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI): “This is going to sound like my typical shtick given the events of today but seriously in the middle of the Barr testimony they were in court TRYING TO TAKE AWAY YOUR HEALTH CARE.” [Sen. Schatz Twitter, 5/1/19]
Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA): “The Trump admin just filed a brief trying to dismantle the ENTIRE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT. 130 million people w/pre-existing conditions could lose coverage. 13 mill people covered by Medicaid could lose coverage. 2.3 mill young adults could lose coverage. We can’t stand for this.” [Gov. Newsom Twitter, 5/1/19]
Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD): “Yesterday, the Trump Administration doubled down on their cruel attacks on the ACA. @HouseDemocrats will continue our fight to ensure that Americans —especially those with pre-existing conditions— have access to the lifesaving healthcare they need.” [Rep. Cummings Twitter, 5/2/19]
Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA): “Capping a historically awful day for the Justice Department, the DOJ under Trump just filed a brief which would, if successful, endanger health care for 20,000,000+ Americans and strike down provisions that protect people with pre-existing conditions from being denied coverage.” [Rep. Beyer Twitter, 5/1/19]
Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ): “Republicans can’t seem to understand: the American people don’t want to see their health care & pre-existing condition protections torn away.” [Rep. Watson Coleman Twitter, 5/2/19]
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO): “@HouseDemocrats are fighting to: Protect Americans with pre-existing conditions, Lower health insurance premiums, Make Rx drugs more affordable. Meanwhile, the Trump admin is focused on stealing health care from millions. #ProtectOurCare.” [Rep. Cleaver Twitter, 5/2/19]
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA): “Gee, I wonder what @realDonaldTrump is trying to distract us from today? But one thing @POTUS can’t distract us from because it’s in court: Trump is suing to eliminate health care coverage for people with pre-existing conditions.” [Rep. Lieu Twitter, 5/1/19]
Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-MA): “This week, Democrats held a hearing to enshrine health care as a right in this country. Meanwhile, @realDonaldTrump & GOP proudly stood behind a lawsuit that would take away health care from millions & render it useless for millions more. There’s only one party of health care.” [Rep. Kennedy Twitter, 5/2/19]
Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE): “This is yet another in a long line of attempts to undermine the #ACA and health coverage for millions of Americans. I am working with my @HouseCommerce colleagues to #ProtectOurCare, lower costs, and increase access to care #ForThePeople.” [Rep. Blunt Rochester Twitter, 5/2/19]
Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN): “President Trump’s request to strike down the ACA is cruel and irresponsible. If his request is granted, more than 2 million Tennesseans with pre-existing conditions risk losing their health coverage – with no alternative plan and no other options. Is that really what we want?” [Rep. Cooper Twitter, 5/2/19]
Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-FL): “If @POTUS gets his way with this cruel lawsuit, 1.6 million Floridians would lose their health care. It could rip away coverage for 300K people in #FL26, including thousands of children. We must #ProtectOurCare from these heartless attacks.” [Rep. Mucarsel-Powell Twitter, 5/2/19]
Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA): “We’ve stopped them before. Mark my words: we will stop them again. I’m fighting to protect Americans with pre-existing conditions. I’m fighting for the millions who’d be uninsured w/o the #ACA. I am always fighting to #ProtectOurCare.” [Rep. Porter Twitter, 5/2/19]