Sen. Shaheen Statement After Republicans Defeat Legislation to Protect ACA From Partisan Trump Lawsuit

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 -- Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release:

U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) issued the following statement after the Senate failed to approve legislation that would block the Trump administration from arguing that the Supreme Court should strike down the Affordable Care Act:

"This vote was an opportunity to protect the health care of hundreds of thousands of Granite Staters and it's unacceptable that Republican leadership remain determined to completely repeal the Affordable Care Act," said Shaheen.

"Right now, the Trump administration is trying to strike down the entire Affordable Care Act in court, including the pre-existing condition protections in the law and the law's Medicaid expansion that has been vital to New Hampshire's fight against the substance use disorder epidemic. In a matter of weeks the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in this case. By passing this legislation, the Senate could have sent a clear bipartisan message that the health care of millions of Americans should be prioritized over partisanship. The American people want to see bipartisan progress to lower costs and expand coverage, and there's no reason both sides of the aisle can't get to work on this now."

Shaheen has led efforts in Congress to protect and improve the ACA, including leading all 47 Senate Democrats on a Senate resolution that would call on the Department of Justice to reverse its decision to argue in favor of U.S. District Court Judge Reed O'Connor's ruling that would strike down the ACA. This health care sabotage could result in 133 million Americans losing protections for pre-existing conditions, millions more Americans without health insurance, soaring prescription drug costs for seniors, and as many as 105,000 Granite Staters losing health care coverage. Instead of defending the law and its vital health care protections, the Trump administration's DOJ chose to side with Texas and other states challenging our health care law last year, arguing that pre-existing condition protections are unconstitutional. The DOJ later expanded its position, arguing on the side of Judge O'Connor that the entire Affordable Care Act should be struck down.