News

Washington, DC — Protect Our Care launched a new TV ad today showing the impact of Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans’ monthslong sabotage of meaningful relief measures Americans need during the coronavirus pandemic. “Relief Now” will run on cable, including on Morning Joe and Fox & Friends. According to new polling, the Democratic position on the content and size of a coronavirus relief package is considerably more popular with voters than that of Mitch McConnell and Republicans, who’ve placed a higher priority on looking out for big corporations than everyday Americans suffering the health and economic consequences of President’s Trump’s failed response to the pandemic.

Watch: Relief Now

“As the pandemic continues its uncontrolled spread, Americans are also facing a flatlining economy. Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans are dead set on blocking robust relief for people who are unable to pay rent, put food on the table and are struggling to make ends meet. At the same time, we’re seeing skyrocketing unemployment and businesses closing,” said Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse. “New polling makes clear what we’ve known all along — Americans want and need comprehensive COVID relief immediately. Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans are destroying our economy by obstructing meaningful measures to control the virus and provide economic relief to Americans.”

Read the New Polling Memo Here

SCRIPT:

Nine months into this pandemic, Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans are sabotaging our economic recovery. 

Historic levels of unemployment. 

Thousands of small businesses closed for good. 

Uncertainty about the future of our economy.

Millions of Americans have fallen into poverty.

Millions of hardworking families need meaningful relief now, but Mitch McConnell and Republicans in Congress are making things worse, refusing to take action that could get this virus under control and save lives and American jobs.

They are blocking real relief like a second stimulus check for qualified Americans, health insurance coverage for those laid off and urgent aid for Red and Blue states to pay for first responders and essential workers.

Without this robust relief package, our economy faces the prospect of another great recession that will hurt families and businesses.

Tell Mitch McConnell and Republicans in Congress that they must work with Democrats to take strong action now to combat the virus and fix the economy. 

Paid for by Protect Our Care.

Washington, DC — As Democrats maintain their majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, and ahead of the House Leadership Election where Nancy Pelosi is running uncontested for Speaker of the House, Protect Our Care issued the following statement:

“Speaker Pelosi is a true health care champion. In her time as Speaker, she has been leading the fight to make sure Americans can access affordable health care,” said Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach. “We have Speaker Pelosi to thank for the passage of the Affordable Care Act, and since then she has worked tirelessly to block Republican sabotage of the health care law and expand its protections. With continued threats to the ACA and the coronavirus crisis continuing to careen out of control, we look forward to Speaker Pelosi’s proven health care leadership.”

“Americans are tired of Republicans’ decade-long war on health care, and no one is a better choice to lead the Democratic caucus in building on the foundation of the Affordable Care Act to improve American health care than Speaker Pelosi,” added Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse. “Protect Our Care knows as Pelosi continues her historic speakership, her leadership and her commitment to health care are what we need to move forward. She is a strategic leader who will continue to lead the charge to protect and expand Americans’ health care.”

Watch the Video Here

The fate of Americans’ health care and control of the U.S. Senate hang in the balance of Georgia’s two runoff Senate races on January 5. Incumbent Republican Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue have made their position on health care crystal clear. Since taking office, both have been relentless in their attacks on health care. Now, they are supporting Trump’s lawsuit asking the Supreme Court to do what Republicans couldn’t accomplish legislatively — completely overturn the Affordable Care Act. If successful, the lawsuit would rip health care from more than 20 million Americans, remove protections for more than 135 million people with pre-existing conditions and throw our entire health care system into chaos in the midst of an ever-worsening pandemic. Georgians can’t trust David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler on health care. 

Washington, DC — In response to President-elect Joe Biden’s selection of Ron Klain as White House Chief of Staff, former Health and Human Services global Ebola coordinator and Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach issued the following statement:

“While serving as the Ebola response coordinator for HHS, I worked with Ron Klain every day as we battled a global pandemic. I saw firsthand his deep grasp of policy, his strategic skills, his ability to get results and his dedication to the American people. Ron is an outstanding public servant, and he has the deep knowledge and invaluable skills needed to make America a more perfect union. President-elect Biden’s selection for White House Chief of Staff demonstrates how seriously he cares about this country and his commitment to steering the country forward through this public health crisis.” 

U.S. Senate Candidate Jon Ossoff, Elected Leaders, Legal Experts and Health Care Advocates Sound the Alarm on Trump-Republican Lawsuit to Terminate the ACA During COVID-19 Crisis

Washington, DC — With the Affordable Care Act under threat this week in the Supreme Court, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Governor Tony Evers (D-WI), Attorney General Keith Ellison (D-MN), U.S. Senate candidate Jon Ossoff (D-GA), U.S. Representatives David Price (D-NC-04), Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ-01) and Chris Pappas (D-NH-01) along with other elected officials, legal experts and health care advocates joined Protect Our Care for 14 events nationwide to discuss the danger of California v. Texas — the Trump-Republican lawsuit to terminate the health care law. On Tuesday, November 10, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the lawsuit that could overturn the entire ACA, rip health care away from over 20 million Americans and end its protections for 135 million Americans with pre-existing conditions — all as the ongoing COVID-19 crisis continues to escalate across the country.

ALASKA
Monday, November 9, 2020 — Alaskan Health Care Advocates Discuss What’s at Stake for Health Care Amidst ACA SCOTUS Oral Arguments
On Monday, ahead of oral arguments in California v. Texas, a case that, if successful, would overturn the entire Affordable Care Act, ending its protections for 135 million Americans with pre-existing conditions and ripping health care away from more than 20 million Americans, Alaskans Mark Regan, Jessica Cler, Meda Dewitt, and Jason Lessard participated in a virtual roundtable to outline the potential risk to Alaskans health care if the Supreme Court were to overthrow the Affordable Care Act. You can watch the roundtable here.

ARIZONA
Tuesday, November 10, 2020 — U.S. Representative Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ-01), Health Policy Experts, and Advocates Discuss What’s At Stake for Health Care Amidst ACA SCOTUS Oral Arguments
On Tuesday, with oral arguments in the Trump administration’s lawsuit to eliminate the Affordable Care Act underway, Congressman Tom O’Halleran joined Protect Our Care Arizona and health care advocates to discuss what is at stake for Arizonans’ health care. Congressman O’Halleran and others criticized Republicans for failing to present a health care plan of their own while relentlessly working to eliminate the Affordable Care Act. You can watch the event here.

Coverage

• Tucson Weekly: The Range: Arizonans Watching Closely as Supreme Court Takes Up ACA 
• Prescott eNews: Arizonans Will Be Watching Closely When Supreme Court Takes Up ACA 
• KPNX NBC12: Gilbert Family That Depends on Obamacare on Edge as It Goes Before SCOTUS
• Tucson Sentinel: Arizonans Watching Closely as Supreme Court Takes Up Obamacare

COLORADO
Monday, November 9, 2020 — Colorado Health Care Advocates, Policy Experts Discuss What’s at Stake for Health Care Amidst ACA SCOTUS Oral Arguments
On Monday, as the Supreme Court prepared to hear oral arguments in the Trump administration and Republicans’ lawsuit to eliminate the Affordable Care Act, Protect Our Care Colorado was joined by health policy experts joined Colorado Protect Our Care to discuss how the Trump-Republican lawsuit to eliminate the Affordable Care Act would devastate Coloradans’ and rip health coverage away from millions of Americans in the middle of a public health emergency made worse by the Trump administration’s failure to confront the crisis head-on. You can watch the event here.

Coverage

• Colorado Times Recorder: Colorado Health Policy Experts Defend ACA Amid GOP Lawsuit to Kill It
• The Denver Channel: Denver Woman Diagnosed with Cancer Says Repealing the Affordable Care Act Jeopardizes Her Future

GEORGIA
Tuesday, November 10, 2020 — Jon Ossoff, U.S. Representative-Elect Carolyn Bourdeaux (D-GA-07) and Concerned Georgians Discusses What’s at Stake for Health Care Amidst ACA SCOTUS Oral Arguments
On Tuesday, during the Supreme Court oral arguments regarding the future of the ACA, Jon Ossoff, Congresswoman-elect Carolyn Bourdeaux, Laura Colbert, executive director for Georgians for a Healthy Future, Erika Meyer, who works in infectious disease epidemiology at Emory, and Janel Green, a Decatur mother, joined Protect Our Care Georgia for an event at Liberty Park Plaza to discuss how the Trump-Republican lawsuit to eliminate the Affordable Care Act would devastate Georgians. Watch a recording of the event here.

Coverage

• AP: Ossoff Condemns GOP Attempt to Ax Health Care Law
• Decaturish: U.S. Senate Candidate Jon Ossoff Criticizes Attempt to Overturn the Affordable Care Act
• WXIA (NBC): Georgia senate candidate Jon Ossoff attends rally to defend Affordable Care Act
• WGCL (CBS): Democrats Blast Healthcare Lawsuit
• Capitol Beat: Ossoff Rallies for Affordable Care Act as U.S. Supreme Court Hears Lawsuit
• LeMonde: U.S. Elections 2020: Georgia at the Heart of the Battle for the Senate (translation here)
• Georgia Recorder: Ossoff Says Health Care Is on Ballot as Supreme Court Weighs Obamacare
• Georgia Health News: Justices’ Remarks Signal Affordable Care Act May Survive Latest Legal Challenge
• The Atlanta Voice: #Election2020: Ossoff Says the Right to Healthcare Goes Beyond Politics
• WSAV (NBC): Ga. State Leaders React to Obamacare Supreme Court Hearings
• Griffin Daily News: Ossoff Rallies for Affordable Care Act
• Courier Newsroom: ‘I Would, Quite Frankly, Become Disabled’: What the Affordable Care Act Means to This Georgia Woman
• Rome News-Tribune: Ossoff Rallies for Affordable Care Act as U.S. Supreme Court Hears Lawsuit
• Clayton News Daily: Justices’ Remarks Signal Affordable Care Act May Survive Latest Legal Challenge
• KCEN (NBC): Live Updates: Biden’s Lead Has Grown to 14,000+ Votes
• 11 Alive: Jon Ossoff Kicks Off Statewide Campaign Tour Ahead of High-Stakes Runoff Election
• WAGA (FOX): Fox5 News @ Noon Clip
• WAGA(FOX): Atlanta, GA FOX5 News @ 6:00 Clip
• WAGA (FOX): Atlanta, GA FOX5 News @ 5:00 Clip
• WXIA (NBC): 11 Alive News Clip

IOWA
Monday, November 9, 2020 — Iowa State Rep. Marti Anderson Joins Progress Iowa, Iowa Citizen Action Network and Protect Our Care Iowa to Discuss What’s at Stake for Health Care Amidst ACA SCOTUS Oral Arguments
On Monday, ahead of the Supreme Court oral arguments of California v. Texas, which will determine the future of the ACA, Iowa Rep. Marti Anderson, Sue Dinsdale, Executive Director of Iowa Citizen Action Network, and Matt Sinovic, Executive Director of Progress Iowa joined Protect Our Care, Progress Iowa, and Iowa Citizen Action Network for a press call to discuss how the Trump-Republican lawsuit to eliminate the Affordable Care Act would devastate Iowans and rip health coverage away from millions of Americans in the middle of a public health emergency made worse by the Trump administration’s failure to confront the crisis head-on. Listen to the recording here.

MAINE
Tuesday, November 10, 2020 — State Sen. Ned Claxton, State Rep. Donna Doore, Discuss What’s at Stake for Health Care Amidst ACA SCOTUS Oral Arguments
On Tuesday, during the Supreme Court oral arguments regarding the future of the ACA, Senator Ned Claxton, Representative Donna Doore, Marie Follayttar from Mainers for Accountable Leadership, and Wayne St. Peter, who received life-saving treatment with the ACA, joined Protect Our Care Maine to discuss how the Trump-Republican lawsuit to eliminate the Affordable Care Act would devastate Mainers and rip health coverage away from millions of Americans in the middle of a public health emergency made worse by the Trump administration’s failure to confront the crisis head-on. Listen to the recording here.

Coverage

• NBC News Center Maine: Mainers React to Obamacare Going to the Supreme Court
• WLBC (NBC): The Affordable Care Act Goes to the Supreme Court
• WMTW (ABC): Mainers Concerned As Supreme Court Hears Arguments Over ACA

MICHIGAN
Tuesday, November 10, 2020 — Michigan Health Care Advocates, Policy Experts Discuss What’s at Stake for Health Care Amidst ACA SCOTUS Oral Arguments
On Tuesday, with oral arguments in the Trump administration’s lawsuit to eliminate the Affordable Care Act underway, health care advocates and policy experts joined Protect Our Care Michigan to discuss how the Trump-Republican lawsuit to eliminate the Affordable Care Act would devastate Michiganders and rip health coverage away from millions of Americans in the middle of a public health emergency made worse by the Trump administration’s failure to confront the crisis head-on. You can watch the roundtable here.

Coverage

• WXMI (FOX): Health Care Advocates Urge Supreme Court to Leave Affordable Care Act in Place
• WWMT (CBS): Michigan health care advocates fight to protect Affordable Care Act
• WXMI (FOX): Arguments Begin on Affordable Care Act
• WLNS (CBS): Local Officials Fear Impact If ACA Is Struck Down
• WWMT (CBS): Impact of Healthcare Decision
• WPBN (NBC): Impact of ACA Repeal on Michiganders 
• WSBT (CBS): SCOTUS Hears Case Challenging ACA
• WEYI (NBC): The ACA in Michigan 

MINNESOTA
Monday, November 9, 2020 — Minnesota AG Keith Ellison and Andy Slavitt Join Protect Our Care to Discuss Trump-Republican Lawsuit to Terminate the ACA
Attorney General Keith Ellison (D-MN), former Acting CMS Administrator Andy Slavitt and Andy Pincus, who has argued more than 30 cases before the Supreme Court, joined Protect Our Care to discuss California v. Texas, the Trump-Republican lawsuit to terminate the Affordable Care Act. Tomorrow, November 10, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the lawsuit that, if successful, would overturn the entire ACA, rip health care away from over 20 million Americans and end protections for 135 million Americans with pre-existing conditions — all during the worst public health crisis in a century. You can watch the event here.

Coverage

• MinnPost: What’s at Stake for Minnesota in the Affordable Care Act Case Before the Supreme Court
• KTOE Radio: Ellison Urges Supreme Court to Uphold ACA as Justices Hear Oral Arguments 
• West Central Tribune: AG Ellison, Others Implore SCOTUS to Uphold ACA
• KBRF Radio: Ellison Opposes GOP Push to Strike Down ACA
• Washington Times: Democrats Say Supreme Court Needs to Keep Election Results in Mind When Hearing Obamacare Case
• KXRA Radio: Ellison Opposes GOP Push to Strike Down ACA in Supreme Court
• Minnesota News Network: Ellison Urges SCOTUS to Keep the ACA as Justices Hear Oral Arguments
• Perham Focus: MN AG Ellison, Others Implore SCOTUS to Uphold Affordable Care Act

MONTANA
Tuesday, November 10, 2020 — State Rep. Mary Ann Dunwell and Judy Shannon Discuss What’s at Stake for Health Care Amidst ACA SCOTUS Oral Arguments
On Tuesday, during the Supreme Court oral arguments regarding the future of the ACA, Representative Mary Ann Dunwell (HD 84) and Judy Shannon joined Protect Our Care Montana to discuss how the lawsuit to eliminate the Affordable Care Act would devastate Montanans and rip health coverage away from millions of Americans in the middle of a public health emergency made worse by failures to confront the crisis head-on. Listen to the recording here.

Coverage

• Great Falls Tribune: Tester, Others, Decry Move to Kill Affordable Care Act

NEW HAMPSHIRE
Tuesday, November 10, 2020 — U.S. Representative Chris Pappas (D-NH-01), State Sen. Thomas Sherman, Lucy Hodder, Director of Health Law and Policy Programs at the University of New Hampshire, Dr. Patrick Ho, President of the New Hampshire Psychiatric Association, Discuss What’s at Stake for Health Care Amidst ACA SCOTUS Oral Arguments
On Tuesday, during the Supreme Court oral arguments regarding the future of the ACA, Rep. Chris Pappas joined legal and medical experts for a virtual press conference to discuss how the lawsuit before the Supreme Court to eliminate the Affordable Care Act would devastate Granite Staters and rip health care coverage away from millions of Americans in the middle of a public health emergency made worse by the Trump administration’s failure to confront the crisis head-on. Watch a recording of the event here.

Coverage

• Seacoast Online: Pappas: Pandemic No Time to Kill Health Care Law
• Union Leader: NH Obamacare Advocates: Expect Chaos If Supreme Court Strikes Down ACA
• Concord Monitor: As Supreme Court Takes Up Affordable Care Act, Advocates Warn How Repeal Could Affect New Hampshire

NORTH CAROLINA
Monday, November 9, 2020 — U.S. Representative David Price (D-NC-04), State Sen. Natasha Marcus, Stacy Staggs Discuss What’s at Stake for Health Care Ahead of ACA SCOTUS Oral Arguments
On Monday, ahead of oral arguments in the Trump administration’s lawsuit to eliminate the Affordable Care Act, Congressman David Price, Senator Natasha Marcus, and Stacy Staggs joined Protect Our Care North Carolina participated in a press call to discuss how the Trump-Republican lawsuit to eliminate the Affordable Care Act would devastate North Carolinians and rip health coverage away from millions of Americans in the middle of a public health emergency made worse by the Trump administration’s failure to confront the crisis head-on. You can listen to audio of the press call here.

PENNSYLVANIA
Tuesday, November 10, 2020 — U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Former HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Pennsylvania Health Access Network and Health Care Advocates Discuss What’s at Stake for Health Care Amidst ACA SCOTUS Oral Arguments
On Tuesday, during the Supreme Court oral arguments regarding the future of the ACA, Senator Bob Casey, former HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, and health care advocates joined Protect Our Care Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Health Access Network for a virtual press call to discuss how the Trump-Republican lawsuit to eliminate the Affordable Care Act would devastate Pennsylvanians and rip health coverage away from millions of Americans in the middle of a public health emergency made worse by the Trump administration’s failure to confront the crisis head-on. Watch a recording of the event here.

Coverage

• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Supreme Court Justices Question Affordable Care Act Mandate, Yet Seem Willing to Leave Health Law Intact
• 90.5 WESA: Obamacare Is Before the Supreme Court, But Health Care Is Still Available
• KDKA (CBS): Supreme Court’s Affordable Care Act Decision Could Impact Millions Of Pennsylvanians
• WHYY (PBS): ‘It’s A Paralyzing Fear’: More Than 1 Million in Pa. Would Lose Coverage If Affordable Care Act Is Overturned

SOUTH CAROLINA
Tuesday, November 10, 2020 — State Rep-Elect Deon Tedder, CNN Contributor Bakari Sellers, Health Care Advocates Discuss What’s at Stake for Health Care Amidst ACA SCOTUS Oral Arguments
On Tuesday, as the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the Trump administration’s lawsuit to eliminate the Affordable Care Act, CNN Contributor Bakari Sellers, State Rep-Elect Deon Tedder, and The Rev. Dr. Jeremy Rutledge joined Protect Our Care South Carolina to discuss how the Trump-Republican lawsuit to eliminate the Affordable Care Act would devastate South Carolina and rip health coverage away from millions of Americans in the middle of a public health emergency made worse by the Trump administration’s failure to confront the crisis head-on. You can watch the event here.

WISCONSIN
Tuesday, November 10, 2020 — Governor Tony Evers (D-WI), Wisconsin Providers and Health Care Advocates Discuss What’s at Stake for Health Care Amidst ACA SCOTUS Oral Arguments
On Tuesday, as the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the Trump administration’s lawsuit to eliminate the Affordable Care Act, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers joined providers and health care advocates to discuss how the Trump-Republican lawsuit to eliminate the Affordable Care Act would devastate Wisconsinites and rip health coverage away from millions of Americans in the middle of a public health emergency made worse by the Trump administration’s failure to confront the crisis head-on. You can watch the event here.

Coverage

• Up North News: Evers Goes To Bat for the Affordable Care Act as Trump Tries to Kill It at the Supreme Court
• WDJT (CBS): State Leaders React as Supreme Court Considers Affordable Care Act
• Wisconsin Examiner: As Court Debates ACA Future, Wisconsin Advocates Reiterate Why It’s Needed
• WMTV (NBC): Gov. Evers Defends Affordable Care Act on Panel
• PBS Wisconsin: Wisconsin Officials Stress Importance of ACA as Supreme Court Hears Arguments
• WITI: Protect Our Care Wisconsin Virtual Conversation
• WSAW: Panelists in Favor of Health Care

On January 5, 2020, control of the U.S. Senate will be determined by runoff elections in Georgia. Both tight races, Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff will face Senator David Perdue, and Reverend Raphael Warnock will go up against Senator Kelly Loeffler. Both Senators Perdue and Loeffler are strong supporters of President Trump’s disastrous health care agenda, while Ossoff and Warnock support President-elect Joe Biden’s agenda to lower costs, expand coverage, and defend the Affordable Care Act and its protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Polling from before and after the presidential election shows that health care has been a top issue for Georgia voters, and news coverage confirms health care could be central to securing a Democratic victory in both races. 

Health Care Is A Top Issue For Georgia Voters 

Exit Polls Revealed That 79 Percent Of Biden Supporters In Georgia Said Health Care Was Important To Their Vote. “Independents in Georgia broke for Biden by 7 points, 51 percent to 44 percent, according to the New York Times exit polls. (In 2016, Trump had won them decisively.) And health care policy was one of the top issues for Biden voters, just behind racial inequality and Covid-19, with 79 percent saying it was important to their vote.” [Vox, 11/6/20] 

In October, 74 Percent Of Georgia Voters Said Health Care Was A Very Important Or The Most Important Issue When Deciding Who To Vote For In The Senate Race. “A new Public Policy Polling survey finds that health care is a key issue for Georgia voters, with 74% considering it either a very important or the most important issue when deciding who to vote for in the US Senate race.” [Protect Our Care, 10/22/20] 

• Voters Reported That They Trusted Democratic Challenger Jon Ossoff More On Health Care Issues Than Republican Senator David Perdue. “49% trust Ossoff more to protect health care for people with preexisting conditions, while just 39% trust Perdue more. 48% trust Ossoff more on the overall issue of health care, while only 40% trust Perdue more. 48% trust Ossoff more to hold health insurance and pharmaceutical companies accountable, while only 42% trust Perdue in this area.” [Protect Our Care, 10/22/20] 
• Voters Were Less Likely To Support Senator David Perdue After Hearing He Voted To Repeal The Affordable Care Act. “Meanwhile, a majority (56%) of Georgia voters oppose the Trump administration’s attempt at striking down the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in court without any replacement. Just 33% think the law should be struck down. When voters hear that Perdue voted four times to fully repeal the ACA, a plurality (43%) say they are less likely to support him in the election, while only 32% are more likely.” [Protect Our Care, 10/22/20]

October 2020 Monmouth Poll Found That Georgia Voters Trusted Joe Biden Over Donald Trump On Keeping Health Care “Affordable And Accessible” By A 10-Point Margin (48-38). [Monmouth University, 10/28/20] 

September 2020 Commonwealth Fund Poll In Battleground States Found That A Wide Majority Of Georgia Voters Said Joe Biden Was More Likely Than President Trump To Protect Insurance Coverage For People With Pre-Existing Conditions (63-30). “In each of the 10 battleground states, a majority of likely voters said Biden is more likely to protect insurance coverage for people with preexisting conditions. Likely voters favor Biden over Trump on this issue by between 6 percentage points in Ohio to 33 percentage points in Georgia.” [Commonwealth Fund, 9/24/20] 

Trump’s Attacks On Health Care May Have Been Key To Biden’s Lead In Georgia

Vox: Trump’s Efforts To Scrap Healthcare.gov Could Have “Pushed Biden Over The Top” In Georgia. “There are lots of factors in what made Georgia so competitive this year — including a fired-up Black voter base, college-educated suburbs leaning away from Republicans, and the legacy of the late John Lewis hanging over the election after his death this year. But elections are also decided on policy, and we know that health care has been a top issue for American voters for at least the past year. We also know that Democrats are more trusted by far on health care. I am going to forever wonder whether Trump’s decision to scrap HealthCare.gov in Georgia just two days before the election could have pushed Biden over the top.” [Vox, 11/6/20] 

Democrats Will Continue To Focus On Health Care In Georgia Runoff Races

Warnock Will Continue Focusing On Expanding Access To Health Care Ahead Of January Runoff. “For Warnock’s campaign, the strategy isn’t expected to change much, despite the national attention following last week’s election. Warnock’s campaign will turn again to expanding access to health care, protecting voting rights and ‘presenting a vision of the state that benefits all Georgians,’ according to a campaign spokesperson speaking on background.” [USA Today, 11/9/20] 

Ossoff Campaign Manager: Georgians “Are Going To Send Jon To The Senate To Defend Their Health Care.” “ Democrats, meanwhile, continued a focus on healthcare by accusing Republicans of a botched response to the still-raging coronavirus pandemic…Ossoff’s campaign manager Ellen Foster said Georgians “are going to send Jon to the Senate to defend their health care and put the interests of working families and small businesses ahead of corporate lobbyists.” [Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 11/7/20] 

The Hill: “The Stakes Are High, And Democrats Plan To Partly Frame The Races As A Referendum On Health Care.” “The stakes are high, and Democrats plan to partly frame the races as a referendum on health care. Without a Democratic majority in the Senate, Biden’s health care agenda would be severely limited to administrative action and bipartisan legislation which has become increasingly hard to pass in a gridlocked Washington. Democrats think if they can make health care the focus of the election in Georgia — one of the few states that hasn’t expanded Medicaid to low-income adults under ObamaCare — they have a decent shot at victory. Black people in Georgia has also been disproportionately dying of COVID-19, partly due to a lack of access to health care. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case that will determine the future of the law Tuesday.” [The Hill, 11/8/20]

Stefan Turkheimer, Democratic Strategist In Georgia, Said That The Issue Of Health Care Is “Absolutely Resonating” In Georgia. “‘Health care has always been a big issue, but now that you’ve got ObamaCare going to the Supreme Court, and it’s such an important problem for so many people, especially given COVID. I think it’s absolutely resonating in Georgia,’ said Stefan Turkheimer, a Democratic strategist in the state.” [The Hill, 11/8/20]

The Head Of The GOP Senate Super PAC Called Democrats’ Focus On Pre-Existing Conditions “Particularly Effective.” “Democrats relentlessly hammered incumbent Republicans, regardless of state, for supporting the repeal of the Affordable Care Act and its protections for people with preexisting conditions. The head of the major Senate GOP super PAC, Senate Leadership Fund, conceded the ads had a significant impact. ‘If you were to turn your TV on in every state in the country that had a competitive Senate race, you would see exactly the same ad run by every Democratic candidate, every Democratic outside group and the DSCC,’ Steven Law said. ‘Our data suggests the Democratic attacks were particularly effective there.’” [Huffington Post, 11/9/20] 

DOJ Made Clear That Their Lawsuit Requires Eliminating Protections for Pre-Existing Conditions Along With the Rest of the ACA

Washington, DC — Today, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in California v. Texas. This case is the culmination of the decade-long Republican war on health care and the Affordable Care Act. If successful, the case would completely dismantle the ACA, ripping coverage from more than 20 million Americans and removing protections for 135 million people with pre-existing conditions — all in the middle of a global pandemic. The Acting Solicitor General, in particular, made very clear that the health care repeal lawsuit requires eliminating protections for pre-existing conditions along with the rest of the ACA.

“Trump’s Department of Justice and Republican attorneys general are continuing their health care sabotage agenda by asking the Supreme Court to entirely overturn the Affordable Care Act. Though many Justices seemed skeptical of the Republican arguments for completely dismantling the ACA, their intention remains crystal clear, and millions of Americans will have to wait months for a decision while the fate of their health care hangs in the balance,” said Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse. “Despite voters rejecting their war on health care time and time again, Republicans will stop at nothing to throw our entire health care system into chaos and rip health care away from Americans, even during the worst public health crisis our country has faced in a century.”

Watch “GONE” Here

As the Supreme Court readies to hear oral arguments in California v. Texas, the Trump-Republican lawsuit to completely dismantle the Affordable Care Act, Americans’ health care hangs in the balance. If successful, the lawsuit would rip coverage from more than 20 million Americans and remove protections for the 135 million people with pre-existing conditions — all in the midst of a deadly pandemic. For a decade, Republicans have waged a war on health care by undermining the ACA at every turn. Now, Donald Trump and Senate Republicans have installed what they hope is an anti-ACA justice on the Supreme Court who they believe will help them accomplish what they haven’t been able to do legislatively — repeal the entire ACA and throw the American health care system into chaos. If Republicans get their way, the protections of the ACA that so many Americans rely on will be gone. 

Watch the Event Here

Washington, DC — Today, Attorney General Keith Ellison (D-MN), former Acting CMS Administrator Andy Slavitt and Andy Pincus, who has argued more than 30 cases before the Supreme Court, joined Protect Our Care to discuss California v. Texas, the Trump-Republican lawsuit to terminate the Affordable Care Act. Tomorrow, November 10, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the lawsuit that, if successful, would overturn the entire ACA, rip health care away from over 20 million Americans and end protections for 135 million Americans with pre-existing conditions — all during the worst public health crisis in a century. This comes after Donald Trump and Senate Republicans rushed through the confirmation process to install a handpicked anti-ACA justice on the Supreme Court who they hope will help them accomplish what they couldn’t do legislatively — completely dismantle the ACA. 

“We are fighting as hard as we can to make sure an illness doesn’t mean financial ruin and bankruptcy,” said Attorney General Keith Ellison (D-MN). “We’re in this fight. We’re here to defend this law, and we hope the Supreme Court does the right thing and carries out the will of the people.”

“We have so many Americans who run for office because of the ACA, vote because of the ACA and that’s because their lives were profoundly impacted by the ACA,” said former Acting CMS Administrator Andy Slavitt. “The court has to take real stock of a dramatic impact this case would have on the country. I’d venture to say a near collapse from a health care and economic standpoint.”

“The argument advanced by Texas and the Trump Administration—that the entire ACA is invalid because Congress zeroed out the mandate penalty—has been discredited by legal scholars from across the political spectrum, including some of the ACA’s harshest critics,” said Andy Pincus, who has argued more than 30 cases before the Supreme Court. “It is contrary to decades of Supreme Court decisions. It is contrary to common sense. And, if adopted, it would leave more than 23 million Americans without access to healthcare and destabilize the Nation’s healthcare system—all during a pandemic that has already killed nearly 250,000 Americans.”

“The thing is, my disease is not going to stop if the ACA is repealed. The pandemic is not going to stop if the ACA is repealed. Instead, people like me will just have to pay more. Our families will just have to pay more to get care,” said Jessica Intermill, a Minnesotan with rheumatoid arthritis. “If there is no ACA and my insurance company kicks me off, the drug company is going to send me the $54,000 bill [for my medication]. That’s more than twice my mortgage. I don’t know how to pay for it.”

“Republicans have waged a decade-long battle to undermine the ACA and rip health care coverage from Americans,” said Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach. “Now, the Trump administration is arguing before the Supreme Court that the entire law should be overturned. This lawsuit is just another attempt from Republicans to remove protections for people with pre-existing conditions with no plan to help them get coverage. Overturning the ACA would throw our entire health care system into chaos, leaving millions of Americans without health care coverage during a global pandemic.”