WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Pensions and Labor Committee, authored an op-ed in Modern Healthcare on the Republican sabotage of the American health care system and the potentially devastating consequences of the Texas v. United States lawsuit if it prevails. Last year, 18 Republican state attorneys general, led by Texas, sued the federal government arguing that the ACA is unconstitutional. The Trump administration took the unprecedented step to side with the plaintiffs in this partisan lawsuit. 

“But while there’s been an important debate among Democrats and across the country about the best way to expand health coverage to even more Americans, President Donald Trump and Republicans have continued their campaign to sabotage the Affordable Care Act, jeopardizing healthcare and protections for millions of Americans who already have reliable insurance,” Murphy wrote. 

Excerpts from the op-ed are below and can be viewed here. 

Murphy wrote: “But what many Americans don’t realize is that the biggest threat yet to the Affordable Care Act is currently making its way through the court system—and it has the potential to overturn the law in its entirety. 

“In early July, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in the Texas v. United States lawsuit to nullify the entire ACA. If successful, this lawsuit would rip away healthcare from 20 million people and leave 130 million more without protections for pre-existing conditions. 

“In short, a small number of Republican state attorneys general, with the support of the administration, are making the case that since Congress repealed the individual mandate, the remainder of the law cannot stand and should be invalidated entirely.” 

Murphy continued: “One thing is clear: Invalidating the ACA would be a humanitarian catastrophe. 

“Insurance coverage for 20 million Americans? Gone. Protections for people with pre-existing conditions that keep insurance companies from denying them care or charging them more? Gone. Requiring insurance companies to let young adults stay on their parents’ plans until age 26? Gone. Medicaid expansion coverage for 13 million people? Gone.” 

Read the full op-ed here. 

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