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Congressman Cohen Votes to Condemn Trump Administration’s Support for Lawsuit Attacking Affordable Care Act

April 3, 2019

WASHINGTON -- Today, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) voted to pass H. Res. 271, a resolution condemning the Trump Administration's participation in the Texas v. U.S. health care lawsuit seeking to strike down protections for people with pre-existing conditions and the entirety of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and calling on the Department of Justice to reverse its position in the case. The resolution was adopted on a 240 to 186 vote.

"I find it difficult to believe Washington Republicans who claim they want to protect people with pre-existing conditions while they are at the same time busy arguing in federal court that those protections should be eliminated," said Congressman Cohen. "Tennesseans deserve a government that is working to lower health costs, not one that takes Americans' health care away."

The resolution adopted today states that "the actions taken by the Trump Administration seeking the invalidation of the ACA's protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and later the invalidation of the entire ACA, are an unacceptable assault on the health care of the American people." It also says that the Justice Department should "cease any and all efforts to destroy Americans' access to affordable health care; and reverse its position in Texas v. United States."

On March 25, the Trump Administration expanded the scope of its attack on the health law, asking the court in Texas v. U.S. not only to strike down protections for people with pre-existing conditions, but to eliminate every provision of the ACA. In January, House Democrats voted to authorize the counsel of the House of Representatives to throw its full legal weight against the suit.

Since its full implementation in 2014, the ACA has provided critical protections for the 130 million people in the U.S. with pre-existing conditions, including the 2,718,800 Tennesseans with pre-existing conditions. If the courts agree with the Trump Administration's position, the following provisions would be struck down:

  • Protections for people with pre-existing conditions;
  • The ban on lifetime and annual limits on health coverage;
  • The Medicaid expansion covering 15 million Americans;
  • Health insurance affordability tax credits assisting 9 million Americans;
  • Bans on discriminatory insurance practices that force women to pay more for coverage;
  • Young adults' ability to remain on their parents' insurance until age 26, and more.

"Last week, we introduced H.R. 1884, the Protecting Pre-Existing Conditions and Making Health Care More Affordable Act, to reverse the GOP's health care sabotage and lower families' health insurance costs," Congressman Cohen continued. "House Democrats will continue to advance legislation that honors our promise ‘For The People,' and helps ensure that health care remains a right, not a privilege, for all."