Lisa Kashinsky: Bay State Dems vow to defend Obamacare

March 27-- Mar. 27--Bay State lawmakers came out swinging Tuesday after the Trump administration said the entire Affordable Care Act -- not just protections for those with pre-existing conditions -- should be struck down in court.

U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark said on Twitter, "When will the #GOP stop treating health care like it's a privilege for the healthy & the wealthy? Signs point to never."

"So we'll stand up to these attacks like we did in 2017 and 2018 -- and we'll win," she continued.

The latest argument against former President Obama's signature law came in response to a case out of Texas, in which a federal judge ruled in December that the Affordable Care Act was unconstitutional. But the judge ruled Obamacare, as it's known, could remain in place during the ensuing legal battle, which could be heading to the Supreme Court.

In an appeals court filing Monday, the Justice Department essentially declined to defend the law, writing that it was "not urging that any portion of the district court's judgment be reversed." The Trump administration previously argued for eliminating only protections for those with pre-existing medical conditions. Repealing Obamacare could jeopardize health insurance for 20 million people.

President Trump tweeted, "The Republican Party will become 'The Party of Healthcare!' " in apparent response.

House Democrats, led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, unveiled legislation on Tuesday to strengthen Obamacare and further reduce costs. Pelosi said, "The GOP will never stop trying to destroy the affordable health care of America's families."

U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan said the legislation emphasizes that "access to quality, affordable health care is a human right for all, not a privilege for the few. I am determined not to fail in the fight before us. The ACA marked one of the most significant steps toward universal health care coverage of our generation, and it must be protected from further sabotage at all costs. Real people's lives and livelihoods hang in the balance," she said.

Other members of the Massachusetts delegation also vowed -- through Twitter -- to defend Obamacare.

Senator and presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren said, "I stood on the Senate floor while we hung onto health care for millions of Americans by a single vote. We won't back down. Health care is a basic human right, and we fight for basic human rights."

U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton tweeted, "Healthcare is a right every American must be guaranteed. We should strengthen the ACA by introducing a modern public option and let it compete with private plans to offer the best care at the lowest price to consumers. This administration wants to do the exact opposite."

U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy III blasted Trump for deciding that "millions of the Americans he serves no longer deserve health care coverage" and pledging that "his efforts to rebuild a health care system that covers fewer Americans at higher costs will fail."

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