Tester Statement on Importance of Affordable Care Act Following Supreme Court Arguments

U.S. Senator Jon Tester today released the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in California v Texas, the Republican-backed lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act (ACA):

“This reckless effort by national Republicans to dismantle the Affordable Care Act isn’t small potatoes—a decision to strike down the law would destroy the health care system as we know it, jeopardizing lives, our economy, and the rural Montana hospitals that keep our communities safe. The ACA isn’t perfect, but it provides critical protections for Montanans with pre-existing conditions and the care they depend on to stay healthy. We’ve got to make health care more accessible and more affordable—not leave millions out to dry in the middle of a national public health crisis.”

Following the submission of a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court urging the invalidation of the ACA by a group of Republican Attorneys General, Tester led his colleagues in demanding the Department of Justice defend the ACA as existing law in court and halt its efforts to repeal the health care protections for millions of Americans in the midst of a surge in cases in a global pandemic. If the Supreme Court overturns the ACA, 112,000 Montanans could lose coverage, including the 85,000 Montanans enrolled through Medicaid expansion and 7,000 Montanans under the of age 26 who have stayed on their parents’ health coverage could lose their care.