GILLIBRAND SPEAKS ON SENATE FLOOR, URGES COLLEAGUES TO PROTECT HEALTH INSURANCE FOR MILLIONS OF AMERICANS AND OPPOSE BRETT KAVANAUGH’S CONFIRMATION TO THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
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GILLIBRAND SPEAKS ON SENATE FLOOR, URGES COLLEAGUES TO PROTECT HEALTH INSURANCE FOR MILLIONS OF AMERICANS AND OPPOSE
More Than Eight
**WATCH Senator Gillibrand's Speech on the Senate Floor at: https://youtu.be/9fx528l4RJ0**
The ACA made it illegal for health insurance companies to deny coverage to people with preexisting conditions, expanding coverage to millions of Americans, including to more than eight million New Yorkers. As a judge, Kavanaugh was on record stating that, "the president may decline to enforce a statute that regulates private individuals... even if a court has held or would hold the statute constitutional." This would include the ACA and its protections for people with preexisting conditions, which the
Below are
Mr. President, I rise to speak in opposition to
In my home state of
That's almost half of my state.
They're living with diabetes. They've had treatment for cancer. They have a childhood disease.
Before the Affordable Care Act became law, if you had a health problem and you needed to see a doctor, health insurance companies were allowed to make you pay much more.
The health insurance companies were allowed to turn you away - to tell you, "Sorry, you're not profitable enough for us because you're sick" - and they did it many times.
And let's not forget that included women who were pregnant.
But they can't tell them that anymore because of the Affordable Care Act. The Affordable Care Act made that simple statement illegal.
Now, insurance companies must cover you if you're sick. They must cover you if you've had a health problem in the past.
And millions of Americans are better off now because of that fact.
So what does this have to do with the
He's already tried hard to get
Because people don't want their health insurance taken away from them.
It's really that simple.
Millions of Americans raised their voices and told
And
But now there is a new challenge to the law in federal court, and the
When this case makes it to the
That means the next
He could have the power to decide that insurance companies don't have to cover you or your child anymore if your child is sick.
Health care costs in my state have already skyrocketed because of the fact that the
But repealing the law would absolutely be devastating to so many families.
More than eight million New Yorkers could lose their health insurance or pay more for their coverage. So would millions more all across the country.
And I am very concerned that that's exactly what
When
He even took it so far as to say that if the President doesn't like a law - if the President doesn't like a law - then the President could ignore the law and ignore the courts.
Listen to this one opinion, Mr. President - this will interest you, I am sure - and tell me if you think this is sound judicial judgment.
He wrote, "Under the
Anyone with the most basic understanding of how the constitutional system of government works in this country knows that this is not what our Founding Fathers intended.
If this judge is confirmed, then there is a dangerously high likelihood that he will strike down the Affordable Care Act.
Mr. President, we must not go back to the days when an insurance company could charge more to a person just because they have health problems. We cannot go back to the days when an insurance company could say "No" to a patient because they could say, "You're just not going to make us enough money."
We must listen to our constituents - listen to the millions of men, women, and children all across this country who need access to basic health care, and they cannot afford to lose their insurance.
We must reject this nominee.
I yield the floor, Mr. President, and suggest an absence of a quorum.
Visit us: gillibrand.senate.gov
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