Washington, DC — Today, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) and health care advocate Laura Packard joined Protect Our Care to emphasize what the recent U.S. Supreme Court vacancy has made clear — health care is on the ballot in 2020. On November 10, 2020 — one week after the election — the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in California v. Texas, a case that could overturn the entire Affordable Care Act, including its protections for 135 million Americans with pre-existing conditions and throw our entire health care system into chaos. It could not be more clear that 2020 is a health care election.
“Donald Trump has been clear. He is only going to put people on the court who are going to overturn the Affordable Care Act. Republicans are rushing through this nominee, declaring their support before they even know who it is, because they want to make sure that they have a majority decision on that November case to overturn the entirety of the Affordable Care Act. The consequences are absolutely catastrophic for American families if a right-wing justice gets appointed to this court, and Donald Trump and Republicans finally get what they want, which is the elimination of protections for people with pre-existing conditions and the elimination of health care insurance for 25 million Americans,” said U.S. Senator Chris Murphy.
“President Trump repeatedly claims to protect or ‘save’ pre-existing condition protections while simultaneously attacking the Affordable Care Act and any mechanism to ensure people have comprehensive affordable coverage,” said cancer survivor Laura Packard. “People with pre-existing conditions like me are terrified of losing our insurance again in the midst of the pandemic surrounding us. Many of us are uninsurable without the ACA, and without insurance we will die.”
“Right now, Donald Trump is asking the Supreme Court to completely dismantle the ACA — in the middle of a pandemic,” said Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse. “Ripping health care from more than 23 million Americans and ending protections for more than 135 million people with pre-existing conditions is extremely unpopular but now, with the spotlight on the Supreme Court, Trump won’t be able to hide his health care sabotage record from voters. Make no mistake: 2020 is a health care election.”