Shaheen Statement on Trump’s Latest Effort to Sabotage the Affordable Care Act

(Washington, DC)— Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) issued the following statement in response to the Trump administration’s latest effort to sabotage the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Last night, the Department of Justice announced that it would no longer defend the healthcare law in federal court, putting access to affordable healthcare at risk for Granite Staters and Americans across the country. 

“The Trump administration’s latest attack on the Affordable Care Act is egregious and puts the accessibility and affordability of healthcare for millions of Americans at risk,” said Shaheen. “The administration’s refusal to defend the healthcare law against partisan lawsuits could allow insurance companies to charge higher premiums for women and patients who have chronic conditions and enable insurers to deny coverage for pre-existing conditions. Instead of pursuing underhanded tactics that gut the ACA, the President should listen to Granite Staters and the American people, and work with Congress to stabilize the marketplace. I’ll continue to fight efforts that threaten New Hampshire families’ access to care, and will keep working across the aisle to lower premiums and ensure quality, affordable healthcare for all.”

Senator Shaheen has consistently advocated for immediate action to stabilize state marketplaces and lower premiums for Granite Staters and Americans across the country. Shaheen has led efforts in the Senate to provide marketplace stability by permanently continuing and increasing eligibility for cost-sharing reduction payments. Her bill, the Marketplace Certainty Act, would make cost-sharing reduction payments permanent and expand eligibility to more working Americans. Senator Shaheen also helped introduce the Individual Health Insurance Marketplace Improvement Act to create a permanent reinsurance program for the individual health insurance market, similar to the successful programs used to lower premiums and spur competition in the Medicare Part D program. Shaheen also joined a bipartisan group of senators in support of the Bipartisan Health Care Stabilization Act of 2017, which would lower premiums and improve quality of care for patients and families across the nation.