Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Celebrate 14 Years Since Passage of the Affordable Care Act
Oregon senators contrast the record enrollment and success of ACA with Senate Republicans’ disastrous attempts to repeal the landmark law
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today joined Senate Democrats in celebrating the upcoming 14th anniversary this Saturday of the Affordable Care Act’s passage.
Senate Democrats are touting record-breaking ACA enrollment, highlighting how Democrats have built on the successes of the ACA, and speaking out against Donald Trump recently vowing he would “never give up” on repealing the Affordable Care Act. He called the failure to repeal the ACA during his term “a low point for the Republican party,” and he has continued to double down on those comments.
There are a record amount of Americans using health care coverage under the ACA. More than 40 million Americans are covered by the ACA's subsidized marketplaces and Medicaid expansion, and a record-breaking 21.3 million people signed up for ACA marketplace coverage during the latest open enrollment season.
“Democrats made once-in-a-generation progress to expand access to affordable health care for millions of families under the Affordable Care Act. We are committed to building on that momentum as seen by what was achieved through the Inflation Reduction Act to lower prescription drug costs and ensure affordable health coverage,” said Wyden, Chair of the Senate Finance Committee. “The Republican health care agenda amounts to nothing more than ripping away care and letting everyone else pick up the pieces. Democrats are all in to reject any attempt by Donald Trump and his friends in the Senate to roll back the clock to the days when health care was reserved for the healthy and wealthy and insurance companies were calling all the shots.”
“Everyone in Oregon and across our country deserves access to high-quality, affordable health care,” Merkley said. “The landmark Affordable Care Act was signed into law 14 years ago and has helped connect millions of people with care since. Even though more Americans are covered than ever before, extremist MAGA Republicans are still trying to gut the law that’s been a game-changer for families. The ACA is a lifesaver, and I’ll keep fighting to ensure all Americans can access the care they need.”
Repealing the ACA would have catastrophic consequences. Over 20 million Americans would lose coverage, over 135 million Americans with pre-existing conditions would lose critical protections, 49 million seniors would have to pay more for prescription drugs, and insurance companies would not be required to cover preventative care, such as vaccinations, contraception, and cancer screenings, and once again impose annual and lifetime limits on benefits and charge women more.
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