Friends — 13 years ago today, the Affordable Care Act was signed into law. Since then, millions of Americans — all with different health conditions, ages, and backgrounds — have been able to receive essential, affordable medical care. 

The fight for affordable health care has always been personal for me: I know what it's like to have the label "pre-existing condition" attached to my care — and before the Affordable Care Act was passed, people like me could be denied health coverage.

When I was a child, I was diagnosed with a serious illness and spent three months in the hospital. When I got better, my grandparents who raised me looked for an insurance policy that would cover me in the future.

However, because of my previous illness, they couldn’t find such a policy. Not from any insurer. Not at any price. They had to pay for my health care out of pocket — and they had to make enormous sacrifices to do so — all because I was a child who had been labeled with those words: “pre-existing condition.”

Growing up, I saw my grandparents stay up nights, worried sick that I would fall ill again and they wouldn't be able to afford my care. And I got into public service to make sure no one would ever have to go through that again.

Because of the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies can no longer discriminate against someone based on their pre-existing condition. I championed that health reform and fought to allow young people to stay on their parents’ insurance plans up to age 26. These policy changes have led to millions more Americans getting the health insurance they need.

So, you can imagine my frustration whenever Republicans attack our health care or threaten protections for folks with pre-existing conditions. They’ve spent years playing politics with people’s lives. And if they’re successful, countless Americans could find themselves in a place where insurance companies, once again, write all the rules.

Well, the people of Wisconsin did not send me to Washington to take people’s health care away, which is why I fought against Republican repeal efforts and why I will never back down.

I’ll always fight to protect the Affordable Care Act from the GOP’s attempts to take away our care. If you’re with me, add your name to our petition today, and help me send a message to our leaders back in Washington.

I am not going to let anyone make me forget where I came from or why I got into public service in the first place. My own personal experience has always inspired my work to do everything I can to make sure that every American has quality, affordable health care coverage.

Thank you for standing with me.

— Tammy