Yesterday was the 12th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act becoming the law of the land and expanding access to health care for millions of Texans and for people across the country.
Throughout the pandemic, we have seen firsthand the critical importance of access to affordable health care — especially in Texas, which has the highest rate of uninsured people in the U.S.. In the 12 years since the ACA was signed into law, we have also seen relentless efforts to dismantle it — even though better access to more affordable health care benefits everyone in our communities.
When I first ran for Congress in 2018, people told me often and unambiguously that protecting the ACA was essential to them. In fact, one voter stepped out of line at the polls to walk over to me and tell me she was voting for me because she was currently undergoing chemotherapy and would lose her coverage — and, therefore, her life — if the ACA was repealed.
And it is with her words in mind that, as a member of Congress, I have stood up to those threats to our health care and worked to build on the ACA’s historic coverage and protections. I’ve worked to cap health care premiums and expand protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions. And I led efforts to create even more financial incentives for hold-out states like Texas to expand Medicaid coverage to millions of Americans, including more than 1.4 million uninsured Texans, when my bill to expand Medicaid was made part of the American Rescue Plan.
And in a country where patients pay two to three times as much for the same medications as people in other countries, I’m working to lower the cost of prescription drugs — because no one should have to ration their prescriptions or choose between buying life-saving medications or paying rent.
So many people have shared with me how important the ACA has been for them and their families. Today, I want to hear your thoughts — will you take our survey and tell me what access to affordable health care means for you and your family?
