Rep. Spanberger Issues Statement on Oral Arguments on Lawsuit to Strike Down Affordable Care Act

HENRICO, Virginia, July 9 -- Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Virginia, issued the following statement as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit begins hearing oral arguments in the Justice Department's Texas vs. U.S., a lawsuit to strike down the Affordable Care Act:

If successful, this lawsuit would dismantle the entire existing healthcare law.

"For thousands of Central Virginia families, the existing healthcare law is their lifeline for reliable and affordable healthcare access. But the administration's continued push to upend our healthcare system could jeopardize this coverage by eliminating lifetime caps, gutting Medicaid expansion, and stripping protections for those with pre-existing conditions.

"Strengthening our healthcare system should never be a hyper-partisan issue, and there are effective ways we can work together to lower costs, increase competition, and stabilize the healthcare marketplace. However, this politically-charged lawsuit is nowhere near that solution. As I continue to closely follow developments from the courts, I'll keep fighting for healthcare fixes that address the challenges in our system without compromising the health and financial security of Central Virginia's working families."

Approximately 3,441,000 Virginians have a pre-existing condition, including more than 444,000 Virginia children. According to the Urban Institute, 642,000 Virginians would lose coverage by repealing the existing healthcare law through the lawsuit, leading to a 96 percent increase in the Commonwealth's uninsured rate.

Since arriving in the U.S. House, Spanberger has continued to push back against the ongoing healthcare attacks that have caused premiums and uninsured rates to increase across the country. Earlier this year, she spoke on the floor of the U.S. House in opposition to efforts to eliminate healthcare protections from Central Virginians with pre-existing conditions. She also cosponsored and voted in support of a bipartisan resolution to condemn the administration's active legal campaign to gut the existing healthcare law.