House Democrats rip Trump administration over latest challenge to Affordable Care Act
Three Democratic members of Arizona’s congressional delegation are condemning the latest effort to overturn the Affordable Care Act in court on a key day in which legal papers in the case were due.
Reps. Ruben Gallego, Ann Kirkpatrick and Greg Stanton issued statements through the campaign of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, calling the Trump administration’s work “heartless and shortsighted.”
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich is leading the state’s role in the case that is pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.
“Remember this in November,” Gallego said. “While the American people were facing an unprecedented public health and economic public health crisis, the Trump administration was attacking our health coverage in our courts. Instead of fighting to make our communities and families safer and healthier during this challenging moment, President Trump is playing politics.”
Kirkpatrick said attacking the health care law during the new coronavirus health crisis is especially unseemly.
“The idea of taking away people’s health insurance and protections during a global pandemic is both counterproductive and cruel,” she said. “We must demand better from our leaders.”
Stanton alluded to the expanded coverage under the law as a key reason for backing it.
“We are safer and healthier because of it and if this pandemic has shown us anything, it is that we must work to make sure health care is a right for all Americans. I stand with Vice President Biden and Americans across the country to condemn President Trump’s heartless and shortsighted attacks on the Affordable Care Act in the Supreme Court,” he said.
Samantha Zager, a Trump campaign spokeswoman, said the Democrats’ attacks miss the mark.
“Arizona Democrats must have select amnesia if they’ve forgotten what a disaster Obamacare has been for the state,” she said. “The Obama-Biden legislation caused spiking premiums, insurer exits, and Pinal County almost had no insurers offering exchange plans going into 2017.
“Democrats have never been able to get government-run health care right and they won’t start now — luckily, President Trump is dedicated to bringing common sense solutions to our health care system.”
U.S. Attorney General William Barr privately has expressed misgivings about trying to overturn the ACA in full, according to CNN. The case pending before the Supreme Court could do just that. The court has given the states and federal government until Wednesday to file arguments in the case detailing their reasoning.
Striking down the entire law has been the goal of President Donald Trump and many Republicans since the legislation went into effect under former President Barack Obama.
Over the years, public sentiment has warmed to the insurance overhaul, especially items such as coverage for preexisting health conditions and the ability to cover adult children until they turn 26.
Democrats have hammered Republicans over the issue to good effect in the 2018 midterm elections and are trying to do so again.