DAGA Weekly Update – March 29
April 2, 2019
Here is what happened last week for DAGA and our Democratic Attorneys General:
DEM AGs SAY ‘NO WAY’ TO REPEALING THE ACA: As the Trump administration continues their relentless efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Democratic AGs are doing everything in their power to fight back and make sure that healthcare for millions of Americans is not ruthlessly taken away.
- On behalf of 21 Democratic AGs, California AG Xavier Becerra filed an opening brief in the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in Texas v. US, as the next step in the ongoing battle against the Republican AG led lawsuit that seeks to invalidate the ACA. “This lawsuit is as dangerous as it is reckless. It threatens the healthcare of tens of millions of Americans across the country – from California to Kentucky and all the way to Maine,” said AG Becerra.
- Following a big win in the courts on the GOP’s lame-duck power grab, Wisconsin AG Josh Kaul moved to withdraw the state of WI as a plaintiff in the Texas v. US lawsuit, proving his commitment to protecting the ACA. “We are seeking to end the State of Wisconsin’s involvement in the lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act,” AG Kaulsaid in a statement.
- Kentucky AG Andy Beshear joined MSNBC’s Ali Velshi this week to discuss what is at stake with the lawsuits challenging the ACA, including care for the nearly 800,000 Kentuckians with pre-existing conditions. Full clip here.
SOUTHERN BORDER VISIT: A team of Democratic AGs joined Al Otro Lado, a nonprofit legal service provider, for a briefing and observation at the US-Mexico border. The briefing covered Al Otro Lado’s legal work serving families, indigent deportees, and refugees in Mexico and ensuring that the rights of those seeking asylum are protected. The discussion included the Trump administration’s “Turnback Policy,” a policy that unlawfully denies individuals access to the asylum process at ports of entry. As Connecticut AG William Tong explained, this policy is “an attack on our constitutional principles. Providing asylum and considering people’s asylum claims is a core part of who we are as a country.” For a read-out on the visit, check out this CT Post article.
(TOP)-ED OF THE WEEK: DAGA Co-chair District of Columbia AG Karl Racine joined Miriam Krinsky of Fair and Just Prosecution to pen an op-ed in support of a new approach to prosecution and sensible criminal justice reform. The piece highlights that criminal justice reform that aims to “correct past injustice [is a] critical part of ensuring that our criminal justice system reflects the values of fairness and equity we hold dear.” Check out the full op-ed in the Washington Post here.
JRC: BREAKING BARRIERS IN MS: Democratic candidate for Mississippi AG Jennifer Riley Collins (also known as JRC) sat down with the Jackson Free Press this week for a Q&A session and to talk about her historic candidacy. “We are moving beyond a sometimes dark and bloody past,” Riley Collins said. “We are truly a state that is looking to move forward.” Check out the full interview here to learn more about her military service and commitment to the people.
