North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party: NDGOP Legislators Vote Against Health Care Coverage for a Second Time

BISMARCK, North Dakota, Feb. 19 -- The North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party issued the following news release on Feb. 17, 2021:

HB 1203 was voted down by 72 House Republicans. This comes less than three weeks after 39 Senate Republicans voted down SB 2222.

Both bills sought to ensure necessary health care coverage would continue, such as coverage for those with preexisting conditions, if a lawsuit, which AG Stenehjem recklessly signed the state onto and the NDGOP fully supports, is successful in repealing the ACA and stripping tens of thousands of North Dakotans of their health care coverage.

Though both bills showed initial attempts at bipartisan action, little to no outreach was done by NDGOP legislators to pass this legislation and ensure that life savings provisions in the ACA would continue in the state, regardless of the outcome of the lawsuit.

Democratic-NPL Chair, Kylie Oversen said:

"The ACA has brought us coverage for preexisting conditions, allowed children to stay on their parents' health insurance until age 26, Medicaid Expansion, and so many other life changing, and rural hospital saving, provisions. These bills sought only to ensure that the state would pick up these provisions, if the lawsuit is successful. The hypocrisy lies in the fact that coverage for an eight year old with diabetes is too radical for NDGOP legislators to support, yet bringing nunchucks and throwing stars into a sporting event is something they're happy to propose."