Rep. Antonio Delgado Votes to Protect the Affordable Care Act

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 -- Rep. Antonio Delgado, D-New York, issued the following news release:

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- Delgado joins bipartisan members of the House to give the Speaker of the House power to defend the Affordable Care Act and its protections for those with pre-existing conditions

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Representative Antonio Delgado (NY-19) joined bipartisan members of the House of Representatives to vote in favor of a bill that specifically authorizes the Speaker of the House, on behalf of Members of Congress, to defend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) after a federal judge in Texas declared the ACA unconstitutional. The case is currently making its way through the court system.

"I'm glad to join Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to make clear that we are here to stand up for the ACA in the face of attacks against it that could be devastating for the people of Upstate New York. If this lawsuit succeeds, it could remove protections for pre-existing conditions and jeopardize health care coverage for people across the district," said Delgado. "We need to do much more to expand affordable and accessible health care to everyone, and no longer remain the lone developed country in the world without universal coverage. A lawsuit jeopardizing the protections set forth in the ACA could not be any further from what we ought to be doing when it comes to solving the health care crisis."

The bill makes clear the importance of the ACA and its protections for those with pre-existing conditions. It is a standalone version of provisions that passed last week, which opened the door for Speaker Pelosi to defend the ACA in the court system after a Texas federal judge declared that the ACA was unconstitutional due to the tax bill that Congress passed in 2017. The ruling was swiftly challenged, and the case could make its way through the court system and to the Supreme Court.