It’s no coincidence that 54 days out from Election Day, vulnerable Rep. Kevin Yoder is doing damage control to hide his unpopular record of voting to gut protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions and raise healthcare costs on Kansas families.
This week, Yoder tried to take credit for supporting a non-binding “resolution” with a litany of vulnerable House Republicans to call for protecting individuals with pre-existing conditions, nearly a year and half after he voted to do the opposite.
“After his Party’s ongoing attacks on individuals with pre-existing conditions, Rep. Yoder’s empty gesture is a gut punch to those living with asthma, cancer, diabetes and other pre-existing conditions. The number of Kansans protected under this resolution is zero. The number of Yoder’s constituents that he voted to gut protections for is 323,500. Young’s last-ditch effort to save his dimming re-election prospects is shameful and one more reason to vote him out this November.” –DCCC spokesperson Rachel Irwin
In a press release, Yoder falsely stated: “Throughout our ongoing health care debates, I have made a promise: I will protect those with pre-existing conditions and ensure they are not denied the affordable coverage and care they need to survive. During my time in Congress, I’ve met many people with pre-existing conditions and heard their stories along the way. I carry those stories with me when I go to work in Washington and always look for ways to help fulfill that promise to make sure they have access to care.”
Here are the facts: Kevin Yoder has 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, he 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.