Republican AGs & Trump Administration Continue to Jeopardize Health Care for Millions of Americans

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the Democratic Attorneys General Association (DAGA) released the following statements from DAGA Co-chair Massachusetts AG Maura Healey and DAGA Executive Director Sean Rankin in response to the decision in the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in the Texas v. US case, the Republican AG-led lawsuit to strip health care from millions of Americans and gut the Affordable Care Act.

Statement from Oregon AG Ellen Rosenblum, Co-Chair of the Democratic Attorneys General Association:

“20 Republican AGs are continuing in their efforts to take health insurance away from millions of Americans, to return discrimination against individuals with pre-existing conditions, and to kill Medicaid expansions harming millions more low-income families. Today’s decision means one thing and one thing only: Democratic Attorneys General will continue to fight tirelessly to protect health care for millions of Americans nationwide.”

“Too often the health care debate is limited to what is happening in Congress, when the real action is happening in the courts with state Attorneys General. We know health care is a top voting issue—and in 2020, there are 12 AG seats on the map. Here at DAGA, we are committed to ensuring voters know which AG candidates will fight for them and their health care—and which candidates will not.”

Statement from Massachusetts AG Maura Healey, Co-Chair of the Democratic Attorneys General Association:

“While Republican AGs continue their attempts to sabotage health care for millions of people, Democratic Attorneys General will continue to hold the line. There is too much at stake. In 2020, voters will be paying close attention to where candidates stand on critical issues like health care. We must work together to elect leaders up and down the ballot, including Democratic Attorneys General, who will fight to protect health care, and put people first.”

Statement from Sean Rankin, Executive Director of the Democratic Attorneys General Association:

“While Republican Attorneys General continue their attacks on life-saving health care, Democratic Attorneys General continue to stand with the American people fighting to protect our care.”

“We have a message for voters in states like Indiana, Missouri, Utah, and West Virginia: if you care about your health care, vote Democrat for Attorney General. We need leaders who will not waste your taxpayer dollars attempting to strip health care from your family and community like your current Republican AG is doing right now. It’s that simple. Health care is on the ballot in 2020, and so are Republican AGs who are on the wrong side of history.”

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND:

In 2017, Republican AGs led by Texas AG Ken Paxton filed Texas vs. US, a lawsuit that would gut critical protections in the Affordable Care Act, including protections for nearly 130 million Americans with pre-existing conditions. Rather than defend the law, which has provided coverage to more than 20 million Americans who would not otherwise have it, the Trump administration joined the Republican AGs effort to eliminate the law altogether.

In response, a coalition of Democratic AGs led by California AG Xavier Becerra is fighting back to protect and preserve health care for families as this case moves through the courts. The states are CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, HI, IA, IL, KY, MA, MI, MN, NC, NJ, NV, NY, OR, RI, VA, VT, and WA.

In 2019, four states sought formal permission to join the California-led coalition of Democratic AGs defending the ACA: Colorado, Michigan, Nevada, and Iowa. This makes the Democratic coalition 21 AGs strong.

In 2020, four Republican AGs who are a part of the GOP coalition wasting taxpayer dollars to take health care away from their constituents are on the ballot: Indiana AG Curtis Hill, Missouri AG Eric Schmitt, Utah AG Sean Reyes, and West Virginia AG Patrick Morrisey.

For a full timeline on Texas v. US lawsuit and backgrounder on the 2020 AG Elections, please check out this link here.