Rep. Spanberger: Amid Severe Public Health Crisis, Attempts to Sabotage Affordable Coverage for Millions of Virginians Must Stop

HENRICO, Virginia, June 27 -- Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Virginia, issued the following news release:

U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger responded to the administration's latest effort to dismantle affordable healthcare coverage for millions of Americans still struggling under the weight of a worsening economic slowdown and a global pandemic, which has claimed the lives of more than 100,000 Americans.

"For years, the administration's persistent efforts to erase the Affordable Care Act have been a source of fear to the millions of Virginians living with pre-existing conditions. Now, more and more families are struggling to access affordable healthcare coverage after losing their jobs due to the public health crisis. These attempts to sabotage the health and security of millions of working families, in the middle of an already threatening time, must end," said Spanberger. "The fact that the administration's legal brief, filed in the dead of night, makes no mention of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic which has claimed more than 100,000 American lives is just one more indication that these attacks against the ACA are rooted in hyperpartisanship and have no connection to the everyday reality most Virginians are facing. An estimated 27 million people have lost their employer-provided health coverage during this pandemic, and the administration's reckless filing puts an additional 20 million Americans at risk - including thousands with preexisting conditions like cancer, diabetes, and asthma. Thousands of Central Virginia families rely on the same affordable coverage that the administration wants to eliminate, and I will continue speaking out against these partisan efforts to take away lifesaving care in a bid for political points."

Since taking office, Spanberger has repeatedly sought to stabilize the Affordable Care Act and protect coverage for those with preexisting conditions. She is an original co-sponsor of the Protecting Pre-Existing Conditions and Making Health Care More Affordable Act of 2019, legislation that would save Central Virginians thousands of dollars a year on their health insurance premiums. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she has advocated for the administration to use its authorities under the Affordable Care Act to improve access to health insurance coverage for the uninsured and the recently unemployed.

Spanberger has also led the fight in the House to make healthcare more affordable by reducing the cost of prescription drugs, including:

* Introducing legislation to increase transparency in the prescription drug industry and shine a light on closed-door negotiations that may be driving up prices for consumers. Spanberger's Public Disclosure of Drug Discounts Act passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support last year.

* Fighting the practices that large pharmaceutical companies use to block cheaper, generic versions of lifesaving medication from reaching the market. Spanberger's bipartisan CREATES Act passed the U.S. House last year and was signed into law by President Trump in December.

* Voting to pass the Lower Prescription Drug Costs Now Act, which empowers Medicare to negotiate for lower prices on the prescription drugs that our seniors depend on. Spanberger joined a majority of the U.S. House to pass this landmark legislation in December 2019.