(TUCSON, AZ) – With just a month until Election Day, Trump-Republican Congressional candidate Brandon Martin refuses to clearly state that he will protect healthcare for the 3 million Arizonans who have pre-existing conditions.
President Trump and the GOP vowed to dismantle the ACA. Right now, they are pushing forward on a lawsuit to eliminate it, and on November 10, 2020 — one week after the election — the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in that case, California v. Texas. If Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed by then, we could see the potential repeal of the ACA, effectively stripping protections for 135 million Americans with pre-existing conditions and ripping health care away from 23 million Americans — all in the midst of an ever-worsening pandemic.
Here’s what’s at stake if Republicans get their way:
- Protections for 135 million Americans with pre-existing conditions
- The uninsured rate will increase by 65 percent
- Nearly 12 million seniors will have to pay more for prescription drugs because the Medicare ‘donut hole’ will be reopened
- Insurance companies will be able to charge women 50 percent more than men
- Key support for rural hospitals will be gone
…. and much more.
Brandon Martin’s lockstep support for Donald Trump and his war on healthcare, alongside his social media posts supporting Amy Coney Barrett show that he will work to destroy all of the protections Americans receive from the Affordable Care Act.
“During a global pandemic, we can’t afford to elect leaders who advocate for less healthcare coverage,” said campaign spokeswoman Arielle Devorah. “If President Trump and Republicans have their way, complications from COVID-19 will be the next deniable pre-existing condition. Brandon Martin doesn’t have a plan for Arizonans’ health care other than to take it away. It’s downright dangerous.”
Alicia DeWitt, a Tucson resident, explained, “I developed a brain tumor in my twenties and had brain surgery a few days after my 30th birthday. I have had many surgeries since then to manage my rare chronic illness, and I depend on many medications to live every day. The ACA was an essential lifeline for me because of its protections for pre-existing conditions and bans on lifetime caps. In this race, only Ann Kirkpatrick is willing to fight for the millions of other Arizonans like me, whose very lives depend on the ACA.”
“My proudest vote in Congress was for the ACA,” said Ann Kirkpatrick. “I know Arizonans who owe their lives to this legislation, and many people with pre-existing conditions rely on the protections that are now the law of the land. We cannot and should not knock it down, especially not during a nationwide health crisis. Arizonans deserve access to affordable care, and my record demonstrates my commitment to ensuring this remains possible for decades to come.”
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