Judiciary Committee member U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) has made his opposition to the Affordable Care Act crystal clear by voting time and again to repeal the health care law and by supporting California v. Texas, the Trump administration’s lawsuit to completely dismantle the health care law. If successful, the lawsuit would throw our entire health care system into chaos by ripping away health care from more than 20 million Americans and ending protections for more than 135 million people with pre-existing conditions, all in the middle of an ever-worsening pandemic. Senate Republicans are rushing to confirm anti-ACA Judge Amy Coney Barrett in hopes she will help them accomplish their decade-long goal of eliminating the law — and the protections it provides for Americans — when the Supreme Court hears oral arguments in California v. Texas one week after the election.
What’s At Stake If The Supreme Court Overturns The ACA
If Trump’s lawsuit to overturn the ACA is successful, 607,000 North Carolinians would lose coverage.
Without the ACA, 4,240,500 North Carolinians with pre-existing conditions could be charged more or denied coverage altogether.
A Walk Down Memory Lane: Senator Tillis And The ACA
Tillis has voted FOUR TIMES to fully repeal the ACA.
2018: Tillis Called His Votes To Repeal The ACA “Courageous” And Said “The First Thing We Have To Do Is Take Out The Underpinnings Of The Affordable Care Act.” “Chris Wallace: Senator, the fact is that the ‘repeal and replace’ bill, which Republicans pushed repeatedly, significantly reduced protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Senator Tillis: Well, Chris, that’s actually one of the reasons why I think it was a courageous vote. The first thing we have to do is take out the underpinnings of the Affordable Care Act so that we put a health care policy in place that’s sustainable.” [“Fox News Sunday,” Fox, 11/4/18]
2018: Tillis Remained Committed To Repealing The ACA, Promising That “With 53 Members We Get Health Care Done.” “The National Republican Senatorial Committee has concentrated its fall reservations in those states and in defending Heller and Arizona’s Republican open seat. Florida Gov. Rick Scott is also mounting a serious challenge to Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, while former Tennessee Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen is running a surprisingly strong campaign against Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn for that state’s open seat. Trump won all of those states except Nevada. So if Republicans can capitalize on his popularity in conservative states, picking up two or three seats is not out of the question — and neither is a more ambitious agenda. ‘With 53 members we get health care done,’ said Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), vice chair of the party’s campaign arm.” [Politico, 7/31/18]
2017: Tillis Complained That Donations To The GOP Fell Off A Cliff After Failing To Repeal The ACA. “The backlash is threatening to deprive Republicans of resources just as they’re gearing up for the 2018 midterms. Party officials are so alarmed that North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, who oversees fundraising for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told his colleagues at a recent conference meeting that donations had fallen off a cliff after the Obamacare flop. The committee’s haul plummeted to just $2 million in July and August, less than half of what it raised in June.” [Politico, 10/5/17]
2014: Tillis Said Repealing The ACA Was One Of His Top Priorities In The Senate. “A day after his win over Kay Hagan, Republican Thom Tillis is talking about what he wants to get done in Washington. Tillis spoke about the committee he wants to serve on and his plan to try and repeal Obamacare. Tillis met reporters at Cornelius Town Hall on Wednesday and spoke about reaching out to Democrats. ‘I think we should start by finding bipartisan opportunities to move for on the legislative agenda,’ Tillis said. On bills dealing with jobs and the economy, and the proposed oil pipeline from Canada to Texas, Tillis says Democratic leadership stalled in the Senate. He also vowed to fulfill a campaign promise — reversing Obamacare. The president would veto any bill to repeal it, but Tillis said there are other tactics. ‘Take a look at things we can delay like the employer mandates. Other things, if we can delay them or replace them with something more sustainable, that’s what we need to focus on,’ Tillis said.” [WSOC, 11/5/14]