Representative Castor, Chair Rizzo, Health Care Advocate Denounce Trump’s Efforts to Dismantle the ACA Ahead of Pence’s Visit

U.S. Representative Kathy Castor, the Florida Democratic Party Chair Terrie Rizzo, and a Hillsborough mother of children with pre-existing conditions spoke to reporters this morning about Trump’s dangerous efforts to undermine the Affordable Care Act (ACA) before Pence arrived in Florida to campaign for Trump.

The Trump administration has challenged the ACA in court seeking to overturn it, and just last week asked the U.S. Supreme Court to delay its decision until after the election. Trump continues to lie about protecting people with pre-existing conditions, but his actions to overturn the ACA has put 3,526,000 Floridians with preexisting conditions jeopardy of losing their coverage.

Highlights from the Media Call:

Representative Kathy Castor

“What has been so stark since Trump was elected has been his determined fight to rip coverage away. As Pence comes to my hometown in central Florida today we want to remind everybody that Trump and Pence have been actively working to take coverage away, including the bedrock protections for people with pre-existing conditions. That would have a harsh impact on all of our neighbors.”

FDP Chair Terrie Rizzo

“Come November, Americans will not forget Republicans’ relentless efforts to undermine our health care system, kick millions off their coverage, and reward wealthy drug companies. We will be fighting every day for the next 292 days to ensure Mike Pence and Donald Trump don’t get another four years to destroy our health care”

Tracy Corn, a mother in Brandon, Florida who has two daughters with pre-existing conditions, one of whom was diagnosed before the ACA was passed.

“We lived in constant fear of losing our health insurance. When the Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010 we could finally breathe again. We had the pre-existing conditions protections which would guarantee us the right to purchase coverage. Unfortunately our relief was very short lived. It came under attack almost immediately. They had voted more than 50 times to take my childrens’ health care away — I do say my children because my youngest daughter has also been diagnosed with the same condition. I take these attacks personally, like a personal attack on my family, and I know other parents feel the same way. There is absolutely no plan to replace the Affordable Care Act that would affect millions of families like mine. This battle has only been exacerbated by the election of Donald Trump and Mike Pence.”