Murray: Health Care for Families, Protections for People with Pre-existing Conditions, On the Line in Supreme Court Fight

President Trump’s nominee for SCOTUS represents a serious threat to protections for people with pre-existing conditions

Judge Kavanaugh and President Trump have both criticized Chief Justice Roberts for not striking down the Affordable Care Act

Murray previously voted against Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination to the D.C. Circuit Court

Murray: “We need a judge willing to provide a check against President Trump’s health care sabotage and efforts to take away protections for patients with pre-existing conditions, not a green light.”

***WATCH VIDEO OF SENATOR MURRAY’S REMARKS BELOW OR HERE***

(Washington, D.C.) — Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, joined a press conference with Senate Democrats, Protect Our Care, and Little Lobbyists to speak about her opposition to President Trump’s nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) and made clear that Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination poses a serious threat to health care for families across the country and for protections for patients with pre-existing conditions. In her remarks, Senator Murray discussed President Trump’s campaign promise to choose Supreme Court nominees who would rule the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional and highlighted Judge Kavanaugh’s own history in favor of striking down the law.

Watch video of Senator Murray’s remarks HERE:

Key excerpts from Senator Murray’s remarks:

“As a candidate, President Trump criticized Chief Justice Roberts for not ending the Affordable Care Act when it came before the Supreme Court. He was crystal clear about his desire to put extreme conservative voices on the Court, and about his determination to find nominees willing to declare health care reform unconstitutional and cut off access to care for people with pre-existing conditions. Unfortunately, in Judge Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump has found exactly what he was looking for—someone who will put extreme, right-wing ideology ahead of patients’ access to health care.”

“This extreme nominee is just the latest proof that while President Trump has broken many promises he’s made to families across the country, he’s not wavering in his promises to far-right special interests or in his commitment to sabotaging health care, and especially women’s access to health care.”

“So while it is deeply disappointing, it is sadly unsurprising that he has nominated someone to the Supreme Court who has already demonstrated he will help take away families’ care from the bench. I previously voted against Judge Kavanaugh’s elevation to the D.C. Circuit Court, and I absolutely oppose his nomination to the Supreme Court as well. We need a judge willing to provide a check against President Trump’s health care sabotage and efforts to take away protections for patients with pre-existing conditions, not a green light.”

Full text of Senator Murray’s remarks:

“Families across the country understand just how important the current Supreme Court vacancy is to their rights, freedoms, and everyday lives. We will be talking about so many of these—but today I want to focus on health care, and upholding protections for patients with pre-existing conditions.

“We know where this nominee stands on the issues—it’s not a mystery. We know this because President Trump told us exactly who he was going to nominate, and because he used unprecedented tests and a list from extreme right wing groups to make his pick.

“As a candidate, President Trump criticized Chief Justice Roberts for not ending the Affordable Care Act when it came before the Supreme Court. He was crystal clear about his desire to put extreme conservative voices on the Court, and about his determination to find nominees willing to declare health care reform unconstitutional and cut off access to care for people with pre-existing conditions.

“Unfortunately, in Judge Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump has found exactly what he was looking for—someone who will put extreme, right-wing ideology ahead of patients’ access to health care. Judge Kavanaugh openly criticized Justice Roberts for saving the Affordable Care Act and suggested the D.C. Circuit Court should consider a claim that the law was ‘unconstitutional’—using an argument his colleagues on the bench labeled a ‘flawed’ ‘misread’ of precedent.

“This extreme nominee is just the latest proof that while President Trump has broken many promises he’s made to families across the country, he’s not wavering in his promises to far-right special interests or in his commitment to sabotaging health care, and especially women’s access to health care.

“President Trump hasn’t hesitated to slash investments that help people get care, expand loopholes to sell junk plans, or champion policies that raise health costs and weaken consumer protections. The Trump Administration even took the appalling step of abandoning patients by refusing to defend pre-existing conditions protections in court—in a case the next Supreme Court Justice could rule on.

“So while it is deeply disappointing, it is sadly unsurprising that he has nominated someone to the Supreme Court who has already demonstrated he will help take away families’ care from the bench. I previously voted against Judge Kavanaugh’s elevation to the D.C. Circuit Court, and I absolutely oppose his nomination to the Supreme Court as well.

“We need a judge willing to provide a check against President Trump’s health care sabotage and efforts to take away protections for patients with pre-existing conditions, not a green light.

“I’ve heard time and again from people across Washington State—this isn’t about partisan politics, it’s about life and death. People like Julie, a four time cancer survivor; Vanessa, whose daughter was born with multiple medical challenges; or Carol, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis a few years ago.

“These families, and so many others across the country, are at risk of being unable to get the care they need if protections for pre-existing conditions are struck down.

“Which is why Democrats are going to continue fighting for them and against President Trump’s efforts to sabotage health care, and why we are going to fight against Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination.”

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