House Majority Leader Hoyer Statement on President Biden's Executive Actions on Health Care

WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 -- House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, issued the following statement on Jan. 28, 2021:

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House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today on President Biden's executive actions to make quality, affordable health care more accessible for the American people:

"After four years of the Trump Administration undermining and outright sabotaging our nation's health care system, President Biden is taking the first steps today to reverse course and make health care more accessible and affordable for more Americans. The executive actions he is signing today will reassert the federal government's commitment to expanding health care access by encouraging agencies to consider additional actions to strengthen Medicaid and shore up the Affordable Care Act so more Americans can access critical, life-saving and life-sustaining health care. In addition, I am glad that he is rescinding the Trump Administration's 'global gag rule' that jeopardized women's access to reproductive care around the world. Perhaps most important among today's actions is the announcement of a special open-enrollment period for coverage through the health insurance marketplaces that will take place between February 15 and May 15 to help those Americans who are either uninsured or underinsured or who need to find more affordable plans can get covered during this pandemic.

"I was proud to serve as Majority Leader when Congress enacted the Affordable Care Act in 2010, and it has been disturbing to see Republicans fight so hard over the past eleven years to repeal, undermine, or sabotage this law that is so popular because it has been so effective at making quality health care accessible and affordable to millions of our people. It continues to protect those with pre-existing conditions and bans lifetime and annual limits on coverage. The Affordable Care Act expanded Medicaid and strengthened Medicare, and it created the marketplaces through which millions now access their coverage. Last Congress, we passed legislation to defend the Affordable Care Act and to build on its successes, but it was blocked by former President Trump and the Republican-led Senate. I am relieved that we now have an Administration and a Senate Majority to work with us as House Democrats continue the work of protecting and strengthening the law and working to make affordable health care even more accessible for the people."