Press Releases
Currently showing results related to The Affordable Care Act
Democratic Health Leaders Tell Trump to End Attacks on Americans’ Health Care
11.16.18 WASHINGTON - Democratic leaders on health care committees in the House and Senate today called on the Trump administration to cease their continued attacks on affordable, comprehensive health care for Americans, following a proposed change to the interpretation of Section 1332 of the Affordable Care Act that would further open the door to junk insurance plans and undermine health care for people with pre-existing conditions. "We write to express our serious concerns that the Administration's ne… Continue Reading
Democratic Health Leaders Raise Concerns about Undermining Comprehensive Health Care
06.19.18 WASHINGTON – Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03), Ways and Means Ranking Member Richard Neal (MA-01), and Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) issued the following statement after the Department of Labor finalized a rule to rollback health coverage protections by expanding association health plans. "The administration’s rule expanding the use of association health plans is yet another attack on Americans’ access to affo… Continue Reading
Democratic Health Leaders Respond to Trump Administration’s Attack on Access to Affordable Care and the Rule of Law
06.08.18 WASHINGTON - Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03), Ways and Means Ranking Member Richard Neal (MA-01), and Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) issued the following statement after the Department of Justice told a federal court that it will not defend the key patient protections in Affordable Care Act. The brief, filed yesterday in Texas v United States, breaks with the Department's longstanding tradition of defending laws enacted by Congress r… Continue Reading
In Secretary Azar’s First Appearance Before the Committee, Democrats Seek Answers on Health Care Sabotage, Attacks on Civil Rights
06.06.18 WASHINGTON - Today, in Secretary Alexander Azar's first appearance before the Committee, Democrats expressed deep concerns about the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sabotage of the Affordable Care Act, its proposed cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, and other health programs, and its efforts to erode basic civil rights protections for people across the country, particularly women and LGBTQ Americans. Members used the rare opportunity to question Secretary Azar to seek explanations for t… Continue Reading
Ranking Member Scott Statement on Executive Order to Cut Benefits
04.11.18 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after President Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) asking Departments to examine federal programs that support working families. "The Trump administration and Congressional Republicans want to pay for their $1.5 trillion tax cut for the wealthy and corporations by undermining federal programs on which millions of working families depend. By adding unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles and punitive work requirements, th… Continue Reading
Scott, Pallone Urge HHS Secretary Azar to Protect, Not Undermine, Civil Rights in Health Care
03.28.18 WASHINGTON - Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) sent a public comment letter urging Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar to withdraw a harmful proposed rule that would allow hospitals, doctors, and other individuals and institutions to deny care to patients based on religious beliefs. The Members raised concerns that the HHS's Office for Civil Rights' proposed rule would ultimately allow fo… Continue Reading
Top Health Democrats’ Statement on Anniversary of Affordable Care Act
03.23.18 WASHINGTON - Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA), Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), and Ways and Means Ranking Member Richard Neal (D-MA)-the top Democrats on committees with jurisdiction over the Affordable Care Act (ACA)-today released the following joint statement to highlight the eighth anniversary of the law: "Today marks the eighth anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, legislation that ended decades of insurance companies price gougi… Continue Reading
Scott: Trump’s Budget Proposal Shortchanges Students and Workers
02.12.18 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the White House released an outline of its Fiscal Year 2019 budget priorities. "The administration's budget proposal does not prioritize America's students and workers. President Trump's budget hurts students by eliminating vital early childhood and K-12 education programs to divert $1 billion to private school vouchers; slashing federal grant aid to make coll… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Medicaid Work Requirement Waivers
01.11.18 WASHINGTON - Education and Workforce Committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement in response to the Trump administration's guidance to state Medicaid directors encouraging work requirements designed to bar Americans from accessing health care services. "The administration's guidance today paves the way for states to establish work requirements for Medicaid recipients. This action is another attempt to erode popular programs on which families across the country de… Continue Reading
Democratic Health Leaders Raise Concerns about Undermining Comprehensive Health Care
01.04.18 WASHINGTON – Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03), Ways and Means Ranking Member Richard Neal (MA-01), and Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) issued the following statement after the Department of Labor issued a proposed rule to rollback health coverage protections by expanding association health plans. “Today, the Administration took further steps to undermine the health and well-being of the American people. The Depa… Continue Reading
Top Democrats Urge Departments to Rescind Harmful Actions Taking Away Coverage for Preventive Services for Women
12.06.17 WASHINGTON - Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03), Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard Neal (MA-01), and Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone Jr. (NJ-06) sent a letter to Health and Human Services Acting Secretary Eric Hargan, Department of Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta, and Department of the Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to share their comments on the Interim Final Rules (IFRs) that allow employers and institutions of … Continue Reading
Committee Democrats Hold Trump Administration Accountable for Anti-Worker Agenda
11.15.17 WASHINGTON - TODAY, the Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary R. Alexander Acosta testified before the full Committee on Education and the Workforce. As the Secretary, Mr. Acosta is the steward of the laws that govern our nation's workplaces and promote a fairer economy for all. Secretary Acosta's testimony comes at a critical time for America's working people. Despite low levels of unemployment, millions of workers are still struggling to make ends meet and get ahead in the workplace. Rather tha… Continue Reading
Democrats Raise Concerns about Latest Executive Order Sabotaging Health Care Markets
10.31.17 WASHINGTON - House Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03), House Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), House Ways and Means Ranking Member Richard Neal (MA-01), Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA), and Senate Finance Ranking Member Ron Wyden sent a letter to Secretary Alexander Acosta, Secretary Steven Mnuchin, and Acting Secretary Eric Hargan regarding the implementation of the Executive Order entitled… Continue Reading
Democrats Demand Trump Administration Documents Used to Justify Ending Consumer Health Care Subsidies
10.17.17 WASHINGTON - Top House and Senate Democratic health leaders demanded that the Trump Administration provide Congress with documents used to justify the Administration's decision to terminate the cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments, including any analyses of the decision's impact on consumer health insurance costs, access to health insurance, and federal spending, in letters sent today to the President and Health and Human Services Acting Secretary Eric D. Hargan. The Administration's decision … Continue Reading
Shea-Porter Statement on Trump’s Spiteful Decision to Torpedo the Individual Insurance Market
10.13.17 WASHINGTON - Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01) released the following statement regarding President Trump's announcement that he will order the federal government to stop making the Cost-Sharing Reduction payments it owes: "Late last night, President Trump announced that he will torpedo the individual insurance market by ordering the government to stop making the Cost-Sharing Reduction (CSR) payments it owes. He is right to be so ashamed of this spiteful action he would only announce it i… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Trump’s Administration Continued Sabotage of Americans' Health Care
10.13.17 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after President Trump issued a statement the administration will unilaterally cut off the Cost-Sharing Reduction payments required under the Affordable Care Act. "Yesterday, the administration took unprecedented action to undermine the health and well-being of the American people. The president issued an executive order to unravel health coverage by allowing the sale of bare bones plans with no guarantee of comprehe… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Administration's Irresponsible Actions to Sabotage Health Care
10.12.17 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after President Trump signed yet another executive order (EO) undermining the progress of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). "Despite the inability of Congress to pass legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act, the administration continues to take actions to sabotage the law. The newly released executive order calls on the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury to roll back health coverage pro… Continue Reading
Shea-Porter to Trump: Hands Off Women’s Birth Control
10.10.17 WASHINGTON - Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01) released the following statement after the Trump administration issued a rule to roll back the requirement that employer-sponsored insurance plans cover birth control as preventive care, with no out-of-pocket cost: "I am outraged by the Trump Administration's most sweeping attack yet on women's access to health care. The vast majority of American women get their health insurance through an employer, and this rule will endanger their access to… Continue Reading
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi Denounces Trump Administration Decision To Roll Back Access To Birth Control
10.06.17 SCHAUMBURG, IL - Today, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi released the following statement in response to the Trump administration's decision to roll back the federal mandate for copay-free birth control coverage: "By eliminating the guarantee that women will have coverage for birth control through their insurance, regardless of who they work for, the Trump administration is doing nothing less than turning back the clock on women's health care. No woman should need her boss's permission to receiv… Continue Reading
Blunt Rochester Issues Statement Regarding The Trump Administration’s Decision To Cut Access To Birth Control
10.06.17 WILMINGTON, DE - Today, Congresswoman Blunt Rochester (DE-AL) released the following statement following the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) decision to roll-back Obama-era protections for access to birth control. The new regulation issued by HHS allows a broader group of employers and insurers to exempt themselves from protections in the Affordable Care Act that cover contraceptives, such as birth control, on religious or moral ground. "Access to a full range of reproductive, pre… Continue Reading