Affordable Care Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, today I wish to again express my support for the Affordable Care Act, ACA.

We must continue fighting to protect the safeguards that were put in place by the ACA, which prohibits abusive practices that previously kept healthcare out of reach for millions of Americans, like denying coverage to people with preexisting conditions. About half of all Americans have preexisting conditions and could be forced to pay significantly higher premiums or lose access to coverage altogether if the ACA is overturned. At least 21 million people could lose their health insurance if the ACA is struck down. In my State, Minnesotans would see a loss of $364 million in premium tax credits, and roughly 272,000 people would lose their coverage.

Earlier this year, I came to the Senate floor to read 100 letters from people in my State and across the country who explained what the ACA has meant to them. These stories are just a small window into the positive impact of the ACA and how so many people would suffer if its protections were eliminated.

Instead of striking down this landmark legislation, we should build on its strengths, defend the critical consumer protections that it provides for so many, and make it stronger. We cannot go back to a time when people who are sick can be denied health insurance coverage. This is not the time to look back and try to tear things down; we should look ahead and work to strengthen our healthcare system moving forward. It is for this reason that we must and will continue to fight against efforts to take away healthcare protections from millions of Americans.

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