Brown Highlighted What’s At Stake for Health Care with President Trump’s Supreme Court Nomination
October 14, 2020 – WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) hosted a news conference call to discuss what’s at stake if President Trump, Mitch McConnell, and Senate Republicans are successful in their illegitimate Supreme Court power grab and able to overturn the Affordable Care Act. President Trump has been working through the lower courts to eliminate health coverage and preexisting conditions protections for millions of Americans for years. Now, if he’s able to install another corporate justice on the Supreme Court, he could succeed in throwing millions off their health insurance in the midst of a global pandemic.
“Right now, Ohioans are frustrated and angry with all the ways President Trump has failed the country during this pandemic,” said Brown. “And now, after months of inaction, Trump and Leader Mitch McConnell are willing to drop everything, and move heaven and earth to have these hearings to put another corporate special interest justice on the Supreme Court – someone who we have every reason to believe will take away Americans’ health care in the middle of a pandemic.”
Brown was joined on the call by Donna and William McCoy. The McCoys live in Dayton, Ohio with their son, William III, who has sickle cell anemia. He receives his care from the Dayton Children’s Hospital and the family relies on the ACA’s preexisting conditions protections for affordable and reliable coverage.
“The ACA is important for working class families like ours, who live daily to make sure their child with a chronic medical condition, such as sickle cell anemia, has access to affordable and reliable health care. Preexisting conditions should not mean lacking health care or receiving inadequate coverage. Upon my husband departing active duty, it was a major concern whether we would be able to afford care for our son, who has sickle cell disease. The ACA provided peace of mind, knowing that our family would have access to health care during and after our transition,” said Donna McCoy.
On November 10, 2020, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in a lawsuit supported by President Trump to overturn the Affordable Care Act completely, including guaranteed protections for 135 million Americans with pre-existing health conditions. If confirmed by the Senate, Trump’s nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, could participate in the court’s decision.
Instead, the Senate should be focused on addressing the global health and economic crises at hand. Because of President Trump’s failure to address this pandemic, Americans are suffering and struggling to figure out how they’ll keep a roof over their heads, feed their families, and pay the bills. Trump, McConnell, and Senate Republicans seem willing to move heaven and earth for a Supreme Court power grab when they should instead be focused on the next relief package for Ohioans. The House passed its Heroes Act months ago – and Republicans have let it languish in the Senate.
Brown discussed his efforts to continue fighting Republican attempts to dismantle our health care system, including expanding the ACA and extending the open enrollment period to ensure unemployed Americans can access care. The Trump administration has continually refused to do this. Brown will continue highlighting the stories of Ohioans who rely on the ACA for affordable health coverage, preexisting conditions protections, and more.