Despite AG Barr’s Warning, House Republicans Continue Support For Lawsuit To Eliminate The Affordable Care Act
As we learn that 33 million Americans have lost their jobs in the last four weeks, House Republicans continue to back a lawsuit nearly all of them voted to support that would eliminate the Affordable Care Act – including its provisions that help jobless Americans obtain health coverage.
House Republican are refusing to join Trump’s Attorney General William Barr in opposing a full repeal of the ACA during a global pandemic. The American Medical Association and American Hospital Association have both declared the current federal plan inadequate for protecting uninsured Americans.
At a moment when anxiety over coronavirus is paramount, it is worth noting on the Affordable Care Act’s tenth anniversary that it will provide important coverage and access protections in this pivotal moment. The ACA still has its critics and challenges, but this would be the worst time to pull out a substantial health care safety net or consider a replacement…
Even as the ACA has reshaped the health insurance coverage landscape and a clear majority (55%) of the public now views the law favorably, the law’s future is still uncertain. Later this year the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments in California v. Texas2 (known as Texas v. U.S. in the lower courts). This ongoing litigation, supported by the Trump administration, challenges the ACA’s individual mandate and raises questions about the entire law’s survival.
If all or most of the law ultimately is struck down, it will have complex and far-reaching consequences and potentially eliminate many of the ACA provisions that would otherwise help some individuals avoid becoming uninsured due to the economic upheaval caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Statement from DCCC Spokesperson Robyn Patterson
“House Republicans are trying to take away Americans’ health insurance during a global pandemic. They’re putting politics over the health – and lives – of millions of Americans who face the challenge of being jobless and uninsured and during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
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