Rep. Coleman Issues Statement on President Trump’s Executive Order

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 -- Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J., issued the following statement after President Trump issued an executive order designed to affect the Affordable Care Act:

"With this Executive Order President Trump has made good on his promise to sabotage the Affordable Care Act and threaten the well-being of millions of Americans. Directing his Administration to scale back health coverage protections, allowing the sale of bare-bones policies and broadening race-to-the bottom association health plans threatens access to affordable and comprehensive coverage for all Americans. Simply, this is a bald-faced attempt to destabilize and unravel the ACA exchanges from the inside.

"But, it should be noted, the President hasn't acted alone. Congressional Republicans refusal to work with Democrats in good faith to find bipartisan solutions to improve the Affordable Care Act, and their hyper-partisan attempts to strip care for 30 million Americans makes them complicit.

"Their misguided political ambition and a refusal to protect the constituents that sent them to Washington has re-opened problems that were solved with the enactment of the ACA - specifically-allowing discrimination based on health status, the sale of bare-bones coverage and leaving behind those most in need.

"This is a matter of life and death and it is a disgrace that this Administration sees fit to strip away health care while they continually blow through tax payer dollars on Trump's vacations and Cabinet members' private jets."