DSCC: Vulnerable Senate Republicans Tying Themselves in Knots on GOP’s Health Care Lawsuit

WASHINGTON, May 2 -- The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee issued the following news release:

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- GOP Senators know the lawsuit is toxic but refuse to stand up to Trump and take action to oppose it

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You would think that after nearly a year, Senate Republicans would have figured out how to respond to their party's dangerous and politically toxic lawsuit to kill the Affordable Care Act and end protections for pre-existing conditions coverage. Vulnerable GOP senators have been tongue-tied about the fact that they have allowed for a "stunning escalation" of the Trump-backed lawsuit that would even erase popular health care protections like maternity care and allowing children to remain on their parents' insurance plans until age 26.

Here's a sample of the word salad and inaction coming from GOP senators:

- Senator Ernst: "Um, I am not going to make a determination on that, I am not an attorney"

- Senator McSally: "That's their decision"

- Senator Tillis "did not give a firm position on whether he supports or opposes the administration's move"

- Senator Gardner: "What I hope succeeds is this place getting together to find a way to drive down health care costs"

- Senator Cornyn: "I support having the courts make the decision"

- Senator Collins voted for the GOP tax bill that "sparked this lawsuit," took no action to prevent Trump's Justice Department from pushing forward, and previously supported the same legal attacks she now calls 'disappointing'

- Senator Perdue, to his credit, did not hide his position from voters - he said that he "of course" wants the lawsuit to succeed

Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesperson Stewart Boss issued the following statement:

"Today would be a good day to ask vulnerable Republican incumbents who claim they support protections for pre-existing conditions coverage why they haven't taken action to stop this dangerous lawsuit - and demand a straight answer. Every GOP senator running in 2020 will pay the price with voters for allowing this ideological political crusade to escalate instead of fighting to protect their constituents' health care."