Harlem Rep Adriano Espaillat Slams GOP Assault On Health Care

Today, as oral arguments begin in a federal District Court in Texas in the Republicans’ Texas v. United States lawsuit to strike down the Affordable Care Act’s protections for people with pre-existing conditions,

Rep. Adriano Espaillat released the following statement blasting Republicans’ assaults on people with pre-existing conditions in the Congress and the courts.

The Republican lawsuit jeopardizes the health care of 130 million Americans, including 68 million women and girls, nationwide. In New York alone, the health care of nearly 8.4 million individuals, could be dismantled if the lawsuit succeeds.

“First, Republicans voted to take away protections for pre-existing conditions; now they’re suing to destroy these protections in the courts,” Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) pointed out.

“Last year, New York families rose up to defeat the House Republican plan to end protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions like asthma, diabetes, cancer, mental illness or substance abuse and push tens of millions more of their affordable, quality coverage,” he continued. “But Republicans have chosen to ignore the will of the people once again and are now pushing a lawsuit that would spell the end of basic protections that prevent insurers from denying coverage to Americans with pre-existing conditions or charging them more. It is absolutely appalling that Republicans are working to make sure that innocent people, including babies and little children, could be deprived of affordable coverage for their entire lives.”

According to reports from the Center for American Progress, the Republican efforts to eliminate protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions:

• Jeopardize the health care and financial stability of New Yorkers.
• Force women and girls in New York to pay more for insurance or be denied coverage outright.

“Americans’ health care will never be safe as long as Republicans control Washington,” said Rep. Espaillat. “I am proud to stand with families in my district and across New York to fight the vicious GOP attacks on quality, affordable coverage, and to ensure that all individuals have access to the health care that they need. Democrats will continue to fight For The People and give New Yorkers and families across the United States ‘A Better Deal’ to protect their care and lower their health costs.”