March 23, 2020/Press

On 10 Year Anniversary of ACA, Trump, Tillis, & Republicans Will Never Stop Attacking Your Health Care

Ten years since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, it’s more valuable – and popular – than ever. To mark the anniversary, North Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Goodwin recommitted to building on the law’s successes and holding Republicans accountable for trying to tear it down, while Charlotte-area mother Stacy Staggs joined DNC Chair Tom Perez, Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes, and Arizona Democratic Party Chair Felecia Rotellini to discuss how the ACA has helped countless lives.

The ACA has helped as many as 500,000 North Carolinians obtain quality, affordable health care coverage and enshrined protections for 4 million North Carolinians with preexisting conditions. Countless others have benefited from other vital patient protections, such as making it illegal for insurers to deny coverage over a preexisting condition or charge women more for their health care than men, allowing young adults to stay on their parents’ plans, requiring coverage of preventative services and essential health benefits, and much more.

Yet despite more families than ever relying on these vital protections, President Trump, Senator Tillis, and Washington Republicans continue to work to overturn the entire health care law, while Raleigh Republicans continue to block expanded access for working families.

Just yesterday, President Trump again confirmed that his administration is pushing a dangerous lawsuit to “terminate” the law. Last summer, Senator Tillis fully embraced the Republican lawsuit, saying, “I support anything that ultimately takes [the ACA] off the table.” And in Raleigh, North Carolina Republicans continue to deny up to 600,000 working families from access to vital coverage by expanding Medicaid, a policy decision that started with Senator Tillis when he signed the law as Speaker of the NC House that made it illegal to expand Medicaid in North Carolina.

“On the 10 year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, North Carolina Democrats recommit to building on the successes of the law and to fight for every North Carolina family who relies on its vital protections,” NCDP Chairman Wayne Goodwin said. “Despite the law unquestionably helping so many Tar Heel families, Republicans like Senator Tillis and President Trump have tried relentlessly to rip away protections for people with pre-existing conditions and undermine access to vital health care coverage. North Carolinians’ health care is not safe until Democrats take back the White House and the Senate, and voters will hold Republicans like Senator Tillis accountable this fall for relentlessly attacking their health care.”

Today, Charlotte-area mother Stacy Staggs joined DNC Chair Perez, MDP Chair Barnes, and ADP Chair Rotellini to discuss how the ACA has helped countless lives. Listen to the full press call here.

“Since the election in November 2016, we have lived under the constant threat of the ACA repeal. In my state of North Carolina, both of our Senators Richard Burr and Thom Tillis have repeatedly voted to take away the health care coverage families rely on,” Stacy Staggs said. “The Affordable Care Act tells insurance corporations that they cannot drop us off coverage. Emma and Sara will never become uninsurable because they’ve reached some dollar amount that somehow equates to the value of a life. Emma’s breathing tube and Sara’s heart surgery cannot be used to deny coverage, or even charge them more in premiums. The Affordable Care Act keeps my children insured and our family afloat.”