Phillips Votes in Support of Resolution Condemning Trump Administration Assault on Health Care

WASHINGTON, April 3 -- Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minnesota, issued the following news release:

Today, Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) voted in support of a House Resolution condemning the Trump Administration's legal campaign to dismantle the Affordable Care Act.

Last week, President Trump asked a federal court to strike down the entirety of the ACA.

"This move by the Trump Administration is outrageous and unacceptable," said Phillips. "Everywhere I go in Minnesota I meet families who do everything the right way, only to see their savings wiped out by the cost of an unexpected health condition. We should be working together across the aisle to strengthen the Affordable Care Act, fix the aspects that need fixing, bring down costs and lower the price of prescription drugs. Instead, we have a White House that wants to take health care away from 20 million Americans."

The resolution passed by a vote of 240-186.

If the Trump Administration succeeds in dismantling the entire ACA, the following benefits would be ended:

* Protections for people with pre-existing conditions

* The ban on lifetime and annual limits on coverage

* Medicaid expansion

* Tax subsidies that make health insurance affordable for millions of Americans

* The cap on out-of-pocket costs

* The savings of seniors on their Rx drug costs through the closing of the Medicare 'donut hole'

Yesterday, Rep. Phillips spoke out against the Trump Administration's efforts on the House Floor.

Last week, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce introduced the Protecting Pre-Existing Conditions & Making Health Care More Affordable Act of 2019, which is co-sponsored by Rep. Phillips. This bill would expand affordability, increase transparency, provide funds to states to establish reinsurance programs, fund outreach and enrollment efforts and protect people with pre-existing conditions.

Rep. Phillips is also an original co-sponsor of the Medicare Negotiation and Competitive Licensing Act of 2019, which would lower prescription drug prices by allowing Medicare to negotiate prices directly with pharmaceutical companies and authorize generic competition when negotiations fail, much like the Department of Veterans Affairs health system does.