Betsy Rader Calls Out Joyce on GOP Effort to Strike Down Protections for Pre-Existing Conditions

NOVELTY, Ohio, Sept. 5 -- The campaign of Betsy Rader, a Democrat running for election in Ohio's 14th Congressional District, issued the following campaign news release:

On Wednesday, the first day of oral arguments in Texas v. United States, Betsy Rader called out Congressman David Joyce for his vote on the GOP tax bill which has now put people with pre-existing conditions in jeopardy.

In the case of Texas v. United States, the Justice Department is arguing that the Affordable Care Act and protections for people with pre-existing conditions are unconstitutional, due to the GOP tax bill that was passed late last year. There are over 303,700 people under the age of 65 who have a pre-existing condition in Ohio's 14th district.

"Protecting access to healthcare for people who have a pre-existing condition is a top priority of mine-I hear from people nearly every day who are terrified about what it would mean for them if Republicans in Congress got their way and repealed these crucial protections," said Betsy Rader. "It's important that everyone has healthcare, no matter their income. But time and again, Congressman Joyce has recklessly voted to put healthcare for hardworking Ohioans in jeopardy. Part of the reason I decided to run for Congress was because Rep. Joyce voted 31 times to repeal protections for people with pre-existing conditions-people like me, my family, my friends, and my neighbors. Now, his vote for the tax bill is being used to undermine protections for people with pre-existing conditions. We need to hold Congressman Joyce accountable this November and replace him with someone who will be a champion for affordable healthcare for everyone."

Yesterday, Rader released her first TV ad, sharing the story of being hit by a car while riding her bike as a kid and the back problems and spinal fusion that came along with it. The ad also notes her experience serving as Senior Counsel for the Cleveland Clinic and working at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, helping to implement aspects of the Affordable Care Act.

Rep. Joyce's first TV ad of the cycle had been criticized in recent weeks by pieces in Akron Beacon Journal, Plain Dealer/Cleveland.com, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and SLATE for attempting to distance Joyce from his long record advocating for repeal and voting to repeal the Affordable Care Act and, with it, protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Texas vs. United States demonstrates yet another instance in which Joyce's votes put people with pre-existing conditions at risk.

Background:

New York Times: Justice Dept. Says Crucial Provisions of Obamacare Are Unconstitutional

The Trump administration told a federal court on Thursday that it would no longer defend crucial provisions of the Affordable Care Act that protect consumers with pre-existing medical conditions....In their lawsuit, filed in February, Texas and other Republican-led states argued that the individual mandate was no longer constitutional after passage of the Republican tax bill.

The Hill: Washington's fall agenda: Pre-existing conditions fight takes center stage in midterms

The latest Republican lawsuit against ObamaCare is ready for court, with arguments slated for Sept. 5. Twenty GOP-led states are challenging the law, with the backing of the Trump administration. The lawsuit argues that the health-care law is unconstitutional after the repeal of the individual mandate last year...That case has given midterm fodder to Democrats who have been hammering Republicans for seeking to invalidate protections for people with pre-existing conditions in court.

New York Times: The New Obamacare Lawsuit Could Undo Far More Than Protections for Pre-existing Conditions

A new Trump administration court challenge is explicitly aiming to remove a central promise of Obamacare -- its protections for people with pre-existing health conditions. But it could also make it much harder for any individual to obtain health insurance on the open market.

The Hill: Pence: GOP will try again to repeal ObamaCare if elections go well

Vice President Pence said Thursday that Republicans plan to give another try to repealing and replacing ObamaCare if they do well enough in November's elections.