Washington, DC — At a press conference this morning, Speaker Pelosi announced that the House will vote this month on legislation to make health care more affordable, protect people with pre-existing conditions, and expand the number of Americans with health insurance. Building on the Affordable Care Act is particularly critical in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. The House will vote the same month the Trump administration will be filing briefs in support of their lawsuit to overturn the ACA and rip health care from 20 million Americans and protections for 135 million with pre-existing conditions. In response to this announcement, Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach issued the following statement:
“The legislation announced by Speaker Pelosi will make health care more affordable, dramatically increase the number of people insured, and protect people with pre-existing conditions from Donald Trump’s efforts to rip away their protections. Building on the Affordable Care Act will also help reduce the racial disparities prevalent in health care today. Substantial bipartisan majorities of the American public support these important steps.
“House Democrats’ commitment to ensuring all Americans have access to affordable quality health care stands in stark contrast to Donald Trump’s promise to terminate the Affordable Care Act in the courts in the middle of the coronavirus epidemic. Donald Trump and his enablers in Congress want to take coverage away from 20 million Americans when 27 million have already lost their employer based health insurance, and rip coverage away from 135 million Americans with a pre-existing condition. Eliminating protections for pre-existing conditions could leave people who contract the coronavirus at the mercy of their insurance company.
“Democrats are listening to the specific concerns of Americans who are more worried than ever about their health. It’s no wonder Americans don’t trust Donald Trump or his Republican enablers when it comes to their number one concern – health care.”