Press Releases

Washington, DC  – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03) voted to pass H.Res. 271, a resolution condemning the Trump Administration’s participation in the Texas v. U.S. health care lawsuit seeking to strike down protections for people with pre-existing conditions and the entirety of the Affordable Care Act, and calling on the Department of Justice to reverse its position in the case. 

“The Administration’s continued actions seeking to invalidate the ACA’s protections for people with pre-existing conditions and of the entire ACA represents an unacceptable assault on the health and wellness of the American people. Bay Staters deserve a government that is looking out for them, not plotting to gut critical protections that we rely on to take care of our families. The Justice Department must abandon all efforts to block Americans’ access to quality, affordable health care. That means reversing its position in Texas v. United States,” said Rep. Trahan. “I ran for Congress to make the lives of my constituents better, not add hardship. That is why last week, I joined with my colleagues to unveil new action to reverse the GOP’s health care sabotage and lower families’ health insurance costs by introducing our Protecting Pre-Existing Conditions & Making Health Care More Affordable Act, H.R. 1884. I will continue to support legislation that helps ensure that health care remains a right for all, not a privilege for a few.” 

On March 25, the Trump Administration expanded the scope of its attack on the health law, asking the court in Texas v. U.S. not only to strike down protections for people with pre-existing conditions, but to eliminate every provision of the ACA.  In January, Rep. Trahan voted with House Democrats to authorize the counsel of the House of Representatives to throw its full legal weight against the suit.

Since its full implementation in 2014, the ACA has provided critical protections for the 130 million people in the U.S. with pre-existing conditions, including 2,903,000 people in Massachusetts. If the courts agree with the Trump Administration’s position, the following provisions would be struck down:

• Protections for people with pre-existing conditions;
• The ban on lifetime and annual limits on health coverage;
• The Medicaid expansion covering 15 million Americans;
• Health insurance affordability tax credits assisting 9 million Americans;
• Bans on discriminatory insurance practices that force women to pay more for coverage;
• Young adults’ ability to remain on their parents’ insurance until age 26, and more.
  

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