DAGA Download – May 8
May 8, 2020
ON THE TRAIL
ATTACKING HEALTH CARE ACCESS
A coalition of 18 Republican AGs continued their attacks on health care this week when they filed a brief in U.S. Supreme Court calling for an end to the Affordable Care Act. When asked about it, President Trump said “we want to terminate health care.” This Fall, four of those Republican AGs are on the ballot: Indiana AG Curtis Hill, Missouri AG Eric Schmitt, Utah AG Sean Reyes, and West Virginia AG Patrick Morrisey. Health Care remains the top voting issue for this fall’s elections – and holding the GOP accountable for its attacks on health care will be a big part of the 2020 state AG races. For more on DAGA’s 2020 plans, click here!
1,000,000 VOTERS REACHED!
On Thursday, DAGA, the DNC, PA Dems, and Josh Shapiro’s campaign announced that they have reached more than 1 million Pennsylvania voters through their collective text messaging programs encouraging residents to vote by mail. DAGA Political Director Farah Melendez said, “Over the past three cycles, DAGA has seen growing success with our voter education texting programs—and we are excited to be working in Pennsylvania with our Democratic partners to connect with voters quite literally where they are, on their phones. The door knock has evolved into a text conversation that can last for weeks. We look forward to continuing to encourage voter participation and to ensure voters know they can safely make their voices heard at the ballot box through vote-by-mail this cycle.” Read more here!
MULTISTATE MOMENTS
DEFENDING THE ACA
On Wednesday, California AG Xavier Becerra and a coalition of Democratic AGs submitted their opening brief to the Supreme Court defending the Affordable Care Act. The case — now called California v. Texas — will decide the fate of the health care law that provides coverage for more than 20 million and protects over 133 million people with pre-existing conditions. Dem AGs participated in events across the country as part of the effort to draw attention to the importance of protecting health care – especially in the midst of a global health crisis. Read more about it here.
ACT NOW ON VAWA
This week, 24 Democratic AGs called on the U.S. Senate to renew the Violence Against Women Act. The Dem AGs wrote, “Violence against women has been a public health crisis for generations, and the COVID-19 outbreak illustrates the urgent need to further strengthen protections for women under federal law.”
AG SPOTLIGHT
PENNSYLVANIA GOES TO SCOTUS
This week, Pennsylvania AG Josh Shapiro led the Democratic AG effort defending access to cost-free birth control, as provided under the Affordable Care Act. Under a proposed Trump rule, virtually all employers would be able to use an exemption to eliminate access to no-cost contraception, impacting 60+ million people nationwide. AG Shapiro tweeted, “Women must have control over their own bodies. They have the right to access quality, safe reproductive health carefree from any interference. As long as I’m AG, that’s exactly what I’ll fight to preserve.” Read more here!
TWEET OF THE WEEK
As the country awaits the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on the legality of the DACA program, a coalition of Democratic AGs led California AG Xavier Becerra reminded people why it’s important to stand with Dreamers and what’s at stake for millions of young people across the country.
VIDEO OF THE WEEK
After endorsing former Vice President Joe Biden for President this week, Michigan AG Dana Nessel marked Nurses Week by joining his wife, Dr. Biden, and U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow for a virtual town hall with nurses from across Michigan.
CATCH UP: Check out what Democratic AGs did last week with episode 5 of the DAGA Download here!