House GOP voted in January to back lawsuit that would 100% repeal the Affordable Care Act
New DOJ Announcement Represents Major Electoral Liability for Republicans in 2020
In January, House Republicans voted overwhelmingly to back a lawsuit that would repeal the Affordable Care Act with no plan for replacement. On Monday night, the Department of Justice escalated that fight, formally announcing it will not defend the ACA in court from this lawsuit, putting both the health and finances of millions of Americans at risk.
Additionally, GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy has already admitted to his donors that this position is an enormous electoral liability, and now his Washington Republican caucus will be 100% responsible for:
- Eliminating protections for an estimated 130 million Americans with preexisting conditions;
- Exploding the cost of insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs by bringing back plans that don’t cover prescription drugs or other essential coverage;
- Reopening the Medicare “donut hole” that would make prescription drugs more expensive for seniors;
- Letting insurance companies charge women and older Americans more for their care; and
- Taking coverage away from 30 million people, including an estimated 12 million Americans who got health care through the Medicaid expansion.
DCCC Chairwoman Cheri Bustos issued the following statement:
“Millions of hardworking families across America could see their health care costs explode because Washington Republicans sided with big insurance companies instead of everyday Americans. They simply cannot say they support protections for people with pre-existing conditions, lowering healthcare costs, or expanding access to care for more Americans, because they voted to destroy all of these things. Their actions speak much louder than their lies, and we will hold them accountable. Democrats won the House in 2018 by fighting to lower costs and make health care more accessible to all Americans, and that’s exactly how we will protect and expand our majority in 2020.”On Monday, before the Department of Justice’s announcement, DCCC Chairwoman Bustos published an op-ed in The Hill outlining how Democrats will win the 2020 election on the issue of health care. This latest development underscores just how salient this point is.