**MEDIA ADVISORY FOR TUESDAY, JULY 9 at 11:00 a.m.***
As Oral Arguments Begin FL Dems to Condemn Trump’s Assault on the Affordable Care Act
As the Trump administration begins oral arguments in their lawsuit to make protections for preexisting conditions unconstitutional, Reps. Wasserman Schultz, and Mucarsel-Powell to speak out against Trump's toxic health care agenda.
Tallahassee, Fl. –– On Tuesday, ahead of the GOP’s oral arguments in the U.S. Court of Appeals in their lawsuit to make protections for preexisting conditions unconstitutional –– Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz,Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, and Florida Democratic Party Chair Terrie Rizzo will hold a press call to speak out against Trump’s toxic health care agenda and highlight how the GOP’s lawsuit will hurt Floridians.
WHAT: FDP press call ahead of GOP oral arguments in their lawsuit to make protections for preexisting conditions unconstitutional.
WHEN: Tuesday, July 9 at 11:00 a.m.
WHO: Representatives Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, and FDP Chair Terrie Rizzo.
DIAL IN: Please click here to register and receive dial in-information.
Background:
June 2018: The Trump Administration Filed A Brief In A Legal Challenge To The ACA And Specifically Argued That Its Preexisting Condition Protections Should Be Ruled Unconstitutional. “Responding to a lawsuit from conservative states seeking to invalidate the Affordable Care Act, the Justice Department told a judge in Texas on Thursday that Congress’ decision to repeal the penalty for failing to buy health insurance renders unconstitutional other Obamacare language banning insurers from charging people more or denying them coverage based on a pre-existing condition.” [Politico, 6/7/18]
March 2019: The Trump Admin. Formally Supported A Lower-Court Ruling On Texas V. United States That Found The Entire ACA To Be Unconstitutional. “The Trump administration told a federal court late Monday that it would ask judges to toss out the entire Affordable Care Act, a decision that cast further uncertainty over the future of a federal law that has extended health insurance to millions of Americans. Justice Department attorneys said in a letter filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans that a lower court’s ruling the health law is unconstitutional ‘should be affirmed’ and that the ‘United States is not urging that any portion of the district court’s judgement be reversed.’” [USA Today, 3/26/19]
The Lawsuit To Overturn The ACA Is Currently Led By Republican Attorneys General From 18 States, Including Florida. [Health Affairs, 4/12/19; Health Affairs 2/28/18]
As Many As 7.8 Million Floridians with Preexisting Conditions Could Be Put At Risk: As many as 7,838,652 people with pre-existing conditions in Florida could have been denied coverage before the ACA went into effect. [Compilation of State Data on the ACA, Health And Human Services, December 2016]
Without The ACA, Insurers Would No Longer Have A Federal Requirement To Provide Coverage For Maternity Care, Prescription Drugs And Substance Abuse Treatment, Among Other Things, And They Could Charge Women More Than Men. “Insurers in the non-group and small group market may not vary premiums based on health status or gender […] All ACA compliant health plans in the individual and small group market must cover 10 categories of essential health benefits (EHB), including hospitalization, outpatient medical care, maternity care, mental health and substance abuse treatment, prescription drugs, habilitative and rehabilitative services, and pediatric dental and vision services” [Kaiser Family Foundation, 3/26/19]
July 8, 2019
For Immediate Release
Contact: Alex Morash
774-208-8291