Talk about De Ja Vu.
Like a broken record or an Alt-Right Energizer Bunny, Donald Trump keeps going and going in wanting to repeal and replace The Affordable Care Act/Obamacare.
As recently as today (November 29, 2023,) the former White House occupant who brought the nation the death of Roe v Wade, the mishandling of the Coronavirus, an attempted coup/insurrection on January 6, 2021, and two impeachments, repeated his call for taking away affordable health insurance from millions of Americans who rely on it either through expanded Medicaid or quality cost-effective plans on health marketplaces.
As reported by NBC News, the four-time indicted-two time David Duke endorsed Mad King posted on his “Truth” Social site:
“I don’t want to terminate Obamacare. I want to replace it with much better health care. Obamacare sucks!!!”
This is coming from the person who had no VIABLE replacement for Obamacare when he was President for four years.
As if the Biden/Harris Administration and Democratic candidates needed more campaign material, Mr. Trump and his MAGA apostates that support this position (like Arizona and Texas Senate Candidates Kari Lake and Ted Cruz) are truly the gifts that keep on giving.
The Biden/Harris Campaign, perhaps remembering how the Clinton/Gore team eviscerated the Dole Campaign in 1996 for its position on Medicare and how Democrats pounced on Republicans in 2018 for their vote to repeal Obamacare without having a valid replacement on hand (repeat newsflash; they still do not,) quickly took to all forms of social media to attack Trump and his supporter’s position on the popular health care law.
Since Trump publicly called again for the repeal of Obamacare during the Thanksgiving Holiday, the Biden/Harris Campaign has issued a series of press releases and media events designed to put MAGA Republicans on the defensive and raise support for the Administration and Democratic candidates who favor expanding the Affordable Care Act.
On November 27, Biden/Harris spokesperson Ammar Moussa commented:
“40 million people – more than 1 in 10 Americans – have health insurance today because of the Affordable Care Act and Donald Trump just said he would try to rip it away if he returns to power. He was one vote away from getting it done when he was president – and we should take him at his word that he’ll try to do it again.
“That means letting insurance companies deny coverage to people with preexisting conditions like diabetes, cancer, or asthma; kicking college kids off their parents’ coverage the moment they graduate; leaving a job once again resulting in a loss of coverage; premiums skyrocketing; and middle-class families suffering. Donald Trump’s America is one where millions of people lose their health insurance and seniors and families across the country face exorbitant costs just to stay healthy. Those are the stakes next November.”
On November 28, the Biden/Harris Campaign had former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper on a press call denouncing Trump’s call to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
In her remarks, Speaker Emeritus Pelosi offered:
“This weekend, the former president reminded us that he is hellbent on destroying the Affordable Care Act. In doing so, [he] is making an assault on the financial and health security of America’s families. This is a kitchen table issue to the n-th degree. Let’s be clear about what this means, this assault. As many as 40 million Americans could be kicked off their health care, tens of millions in any event. 150 million Americans with preexisting conditions could once again be denied coverage. 150 million. This was one of the… really crucial points of the Affordable Care Act, the access. Families would …once again face lifetime limits on care. We hear this every day from families, especially with babies born with preexisting conditions. Young adults couldn’t continue to be on their family plan until age 26. Again, being a woman… would now become a preexisting medical condition… So when he says he’s going after our health care — believe him, because he’s done it before. I was there in 2017, when… he was one vote away in the Senate from repealing the ACA. Demolishing the ACA, it won’t be enough for him. Trump and Republicans in Congress on the record wanting to raise the cost of prescription drugs for seniors by undoing our victories with the Inflation Reduction Act… This is… as personal as any public issue can be. Let me be clear… the Affordable Care Act — and all of its transformational benefits — will be on the ballot. The American people will need to know that if Donald Trump wins next year, he’s coming for your health care – but if Joe Biden wins, your health care will be safe and sound.”
Governor Cooper relayed:
“Donald Trump is great reading the room full of conspiracy theorists, but he’s clueless reading the room of everyday Americans who need health insurance…Trump’s threat to destroy the Affordable Care Act, it takes power away from the people and gives it back to the health insurance company. It is time to call this out… Health care is a great opportunity to compare the best of [President] Biden to the worst of Trump. We want to protect the 600,000 North Carolinians who are going to be getting an opportunity for health insurance for the first time this Friday. Abolishing or gutting the Affordable Care Act would likely take that opportunity away and rip health insurance away from North Carolinians. And when you look at this presidential race, the choices could not be clearer here. Do we want Donald Trump who’s gonna take away health insurance from North Carolina families or do we want President Biden who’s gonna continue to work to add health insurance?”
This week, the Biden/Harris Campaign issued additional statements on popular Obamacare features like protections for pre-existing conditions and being able to stay on your parent’s health insurance policy until age 26.
On Pre-Existing Protection Protections, campaign spokesperson Seth Schuster stated:
“When Donald Trump says he would repeal the Affordable Care Act, he’s admitting that he is more than OK denying protections for roughly 135 million Americans with preexisting conditions. Whether you have cancer or diabetes or are simply a woman, Trump’s plan means insurance companies would again be able to deny coverage for no reason at all – other than the fact that they can. But Donald Trump doesn’t care, because like everything in his life, he only cares about himself – and turns out, a billionaire doesn’t have to worry about his health insurance. The American people have rejected MAGA’s attempts to take away their health care election after election. November 2024 won’t be any different.”
On young adults being able to stay on their parent’s health insurance policies, spokesperson Kevin Munoz relayed:
“The last thing young people entering the workforce and beginning their career should have to worry about is being kicked off their parents’ health insurance – but that’s exactly what Donald Trump wants to let happen if he’s given a second term. His obsession with ripping away Americans’ health care knows no bounds – an unsurprising “let them eat cake” attitude fit for a Park Avenue billionaire. For Donald Trump, repealing the Affordable Care Act is just an act of political revenge, but for more than 2 million young Americans, it means having their health care taken from them. That is the sad, shameful reality of Donald Trump’s America in 2025.”
Today, in a speech at a new Wind Power Plant in Pueblo Colorado touting the benefits of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (which his all-talk/no legislative action predecessor could not get any bill passed) and the Inflation Reduction Act (which the Mad King wants to repeal, Prescription Drug Benefit and all,) President Biden went after naysayers like Lauren Boebert (who voted against the measure that made the Wind Power Plant in her district possible,) current (as of today) Speaker Mike Johnson, and Mr. ‘I killed Roe v Wade’. On Trump’s call again to repeal the Affordable Care Act, President Biden said:
“Over 40 million Americans get their health insurance from the Affordable Care Act. His plan is to throw them off that plan. That would mean the number of African-American uninsured would go up by 20 percent. Latinos would go up by 15 percent.”
On the repeal of The Inflation Reduction Act and the ability to get drugs like insulin at a reduced cost, spokesperson Kevin Munoz wrote in a press release:
“Donald Trump’s “economic vision” is nothing more than a self-serving agenda that comes at the expense of hardworking American families and seniors. Trump’s Inflation Reduction Act repeal would increase prescription drug costs for America’s seniors, kill American jobs, and actively work against our country’s efforts to address climate change. Make no mistake: Donald Trump’s political revenge would come at the cost of those who need help the most and favor Big Pharma, corporate executives, and Trump’s billionaire friends. Voters won’t forget that come next November.”
In Arizona, if the Affordable Care Act was repealed, 1,145,000 people with preexisting conditions would lose their health insurance.
Three Arizona House Congressional Candidates: Andrei Cherny Conor O’Callaghan and Clint Smith offered their views on the Trump nightmare of repealing Obamacare.
Cherny stated:
“I’m running for Congress to protect Arizona from extreme Republicans and their agenda to dismantle the ACA. When I worked with President Obama to write his policy plan, “Change We Can Believe In” before the creation of the ACA, I knew then just as I know now: we must lower healthcare costs and protect working families. Republicans being against Obamacare is like the Grinch being against Christmas. It’s just what they do. Since it was passed every Republican presidential and Congressional candidate has vowed to get rid of Obamacare. Donald Trump and extreme Republicans like my opponent — David Schweikert — are no different. I’m proud to be the only candidate with a consistent record of having fought for affordable, quality health care and the Democrats who have advanced that cause.”
O’Callaghan commented:
“Trump’s threat to strip healthcare from millions puts lives on the line next November. (Congressman David) Schweikert’s full alignment with him on this is clear. He’s never been a friend to the ACA. That’s why we need a congressional candidate who can beat him next year. That candidate is me.”
Smith wrote:
“Trump says he is seriously looking at alternatives to the ACA. So, he and Congress weren’t doing that when they had control of government in 2017-18? Trump and Congress have had many years to come up with an “alternative.” What is it? Typical like Andy Biggs and the Freedom Caucus: throw rocks but don’t actually solve anything. We can’t afford this extremism. And that’s what we would get in Trump and Biggs if they are re-elected.”
When voters go to the polls in 2024, they should remember what health insurance was like before Obamacare.
Do they really want to fall into that abyss again with the failed policy prescriptions of Donald ‘I Killed Roe v Wade’ and the rest of the MAGA Republicans like Kari Lake, Ted Cruz, Andy Biggs, and David Schweikert?
Do people really need to think about this?
Probably not.