Majority Leader Hoyer Issues Statement on 5th Circuit Ruling in Texas Vs. U.S. Case on Affordable Care Act

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, issued the following statement on the 5th Circuit Court ruling in the Texas vs. U.S. case on the Affordable Care Act:

"I am disappointed by today's decision by a federal appeals court to invalidate a key component of the Affordable Care Act and send the case back to a lower court. This will only cause further uncertainty for patients, consumers, and providers. This case was brought by Republicans and supported by the Trump Administration, and it seeks to invalidate the law in its entirety - even the most popular provisions, such as protecting Americans with pre-existing conditions and eliminating annual and lifetime limits on coverage.

"While this case has been pending, the Trump Administration has attempted to sabotage the law's implementation, and when Republicans held the House Majority, they voted more than sixty times to repeal or undermine it.

"I was proud to bring a rules package to the House Floor in January that enabled the House to defend the Affordable Care Act in court, and House Democrats will continue to do everything in our power to ensure that the law can keep providing Americans with access to quality, affordable health coverage. We have passed a number of bills to protect and expand coverage, and this week, we passed an end-of-the-year funding bill that includes provisions to protect the Affordable Care Act from further sabotage by the Trump Administration while this case continues to work its way through the court system.

"House Democrats will continue to do all we can to demonstrate that the Affordable Care Act is constitutional, and I have been proud to be part of an amicus brief in this case making clear the importance of preserving the law's protections and cost savings. Furthermore, we will continue working to make prescription drugs more affordable, which is why we passed H.R. 3 and other legislation aimed at lowering prescription drug prices."