It’s no coincidence that 50 days out from Election Day, vulnerable Reps. David Valadao, Steve Knight, & Mimi Walters are doing damage control to hide their unpopular record of voting to gut protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions and raise healthcare costs on California families.
Just days ago, these Republicans tried to paper over their dismal Washington record by signing onto a non-binding “resolution” with a who’s who of vulnerable House Republicans to call for protecting individuals with pre-existing conditions, nearly a year and a half after they voted to do the opposite. What’s worse – these members have refused to condemn the GOP’s lawsuit being tried at this very moment to allow insurers to discriminate against those with pre-existing conditions.
“After being steadfast soldiers in the Republican Party’s repeated attacks on individuals with pre-existing conditions, Reps. Valadao, Knight, and Walters’ empty gesture is a gut punch to those living with asthma, cancer, diabetes and other pre-existing conditions. The number of Californians protected under this resolution is zero.” –DCCC spokesperson Drew Godinich
Here are the facts: David Valadao, Steve Knight, and Mimi Walters have taken hundreds of thousands of dollars from insurance companies and repeatedly voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would’ve eliminated protections for those with pre-existing conditions. In 2017, they voted for the AHCA, which the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and Politifact confirmed would weaken protections for those with pre-existing conditions, including making health insurance unaffordable for older Americans and jack up healthcare costs.