Sen. Durbin: Rush to Confirm Judge Barrett Is About Eliminating the Affordable Care Act

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release on Sept. 30:

U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today slammed Senate Republicans' reversal on filling a Supreme Court vacancy in a presidential election year and argued it is a thinly-veiled effort to destroy the Affordable Care Act (ACA) after numerous failed attempts to undo the law in Congress. With President Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) actively working to dismantle the ACA, Durbin emphasized the dangerous repercussions of filling this judicial vacancy without voters' input as the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments on the fate of the law just one week after the November 3, 2020, election.

"They want it done before November 3 so [Judge Barrett] can sit in on the decision, or at least on the oral argument and then the decision, in this case of California v. Texas. That's what it's all about. It's all about 600,000 people in the State of Illinois...who rely on the Affordable Care Act for their health insurance," Durbin said. "It's all about a protection we all take for granted that says insurance companies cannot discriminate against us because of pre-existing conditions."

Video of Durbin's remarks on the Senate floor is available here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/xiusw2ksn40zg2s/ACA%20-2020-09-30.mp4?dl=0

Audio of Durbin's remarks on the Senate floor is available here: https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/audio/listen/durbin-rush-to-confirm-judge-barrett-is-about-eliminating-the-affordable-care-act

Footage of Durbin's remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations: https://lfts.senate.gov/seos/1000/mpd/ui16102020b24d03f416b5a9b41d508869b839a1a2