Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) issued the following statement on the Supreme Court of the United States hearing oral arguments in the challenge to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), California v. Texas.
“Today the Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments for a challenge to the ACA that could determine whether 800,000 West Virginians with preexisting conditions will have healthcare coverage. The COVID-19 pandemic has killed over 238,000 Americans and caused record numbers to lose their employee sponsored healthcare, leaving millions without coverage. It is clear Americans need healthcare coverage now more than ever. West Virginians may not remember who gave them access to healthcare but they’ll certainly remember who took it away. According to the West Virginians for Affordable Health Care (WVAFC), West Virginia would be the second most affected state if the ACA is repealed, resulting in a devastating $1 billion loss in direct federal funding. While the ACA is not perfect, we simply can’t throw the baby out with the bath water. I firmly believe Congress can work in a bipartisan way to improve the affordability and flexibility of health insurance. In fact, I have a bipartisan bill with my colleague Senator Susan Collins that would help cover the cost of the sickest, most expensive patients so that we can reduce premiums for everyone. Instead of continuing to attack access to healthcare, I urge more Republican lawmakers and Attorneys General to join with me and my Democrat colleagues to fix the parts of the ACA in need of repair. Every West Virginian and American deserves access to quality, affordable health insurance and I will continue fighting in the Senate to protect that access.”
