Voters across the battlegrounds sounded the alarm this week on Donald Trump’s pledge on the debate stage to repeal the Affordable Care Act and replace it with “concepts of a plan.” Trump and MAGA Republicans tried to repeal the ACA repeatedly and Trump has called the legislation “lousy,” promising to “terminate” it as part of his Project 2025 agenda. On Wednesday, JD Vance doubled-down on Trump’s “concepts of a plan” to drive up costs and jeopardize coverage for millions of Americans: gutting protections for pre-existing conditions and forcing people into high-risk pools.
While Trump’s Project 2025 agenda would rip health care away from millions of Americans, allow insurance companies to deny coverage to those with pre-existing conditions, and raise health care and prescription drug costs, Vice President Harris will continue to lower health care costs and improve access for the millions of Americans who rely on the Affordable Care Act.
See some of the coverage below:
In Georgia:
On WMGT (NBC – Macon, Georgia):
Reporter: “U.S. House Representative Sanford Bishop visited Macon today, touting Vice-President Kamala Harris’ health care plan. Bishop and other Georgia Democrats spoke about The Harris campaign’s promises to maintain and expand the protections of the Affordable Care Act.”
U.S. Representative Sanford Bishop: “All Georgians, regardless of where they live, deserve to have affordable, accessible health care.”
Reporter: “While criticizing former President Donald Trump’s attacks of the Affordable Care Act at last week’s presidential debate, Congressman Sanford Bishop highlighted what he claimed was great progress in increasing health care coverage to Georgians under the Biden-Harris administration.”
U.S. Representative Sanford Bishop: “I’ve worked in Congress to provide the Department of Health and Human Services with funds so they could award $100 million to address the need for registered nurses, nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives and nursing facilities.”
Reporter: “Bishop went after former president Trump for saying that he had ‘concepts of a plan’ to repeal the Affordable Care Act.”
On WGXA (ABC – Macon, Georgia):
Reporter: “[U.S. Representative Sanford Bishop] spoke in support of the [Affordable Care Act], saying under President Trump, it could be dismantled in absence of another plan, of which the former president said in last week’s debate he has a concept. And […] the event was to spotlight Obamacare for the Harris-Walz campaign.”
WMGT: Congressman Sanford Bishop, Georgia Democrats tout Vice President Kamala Harris’s ‘New Way Forward’ plan
[Taylor Gilchrist, 9/16/24]
While criticizing Trump’s attacks of the Affordable Care Act at last week’s presidential debate, [U.S. Representative Sanford] Bishop highlighted what he claimed was great progress in increasing healthcare coverage to Georgians under the Biden-Harris Administration. […]
Ellington says that due to the Affordable Care Act, emergency rooms have seen less people come in for treatment of long-term complications such as diabetes and asthma.
“We’ve seen less of that,” Ellington said. “We’ve seen less people coming in and using them as primary care physicians. We have seen more children having access to pediatricians and being able to be treated for acute issues without waiting in a waiting room for nine hours. “
In Pennsylvania:
On WJAC (NBC – Johnstown-Altoona, Pennsylvania):
Anchor: “State Representative Paul Takac speaking out today against former president Donald Trump in State College. Takac was joined by a local doctor and former hospital administrator to talk about the differences in health care policies between former president Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. They spoke about how the different plans would affect Pennsylvanians and more specifically, local families. Much of the conversation is focused on the Affordable Care Act, which Trump says he plans to repeal. Takac says more than 1.5 million people in the commonwealth rely on it.”
Pennsylvania state Representative Paul Takac: “No parent should have to think twice about taking their sick child to the doctor or to the hospital because they’re afraid of what it will cost.”
Christopher Calkins: “I remember what life was like before the Affordable Care Act was passed. Health care costs were incredibly high. Pharmaceutical drugs were beyond the reach of many patients, and critical care was certainly out of the reach of many patients.”
On WTAJ (CBS – Johnstown-Altoona, Pennsylvania):
Reporter: “State Representative Paul Takac and some local Democrats gathered in front of the State College municipal building to highlight Vice President Kamala Harris’ plan to lower health care costs and to strengthen the Affordable Care Act. This comes after the debate between Harris and Trump, in which Trump said he may repeal some parts of the plan, often referred to as Obamacare.”
Pennsylvania state Representative Paul Takac: “Rural communities, whether those are urban communities, folks who are struggling right now to put food on the table, right, to afford their car payments, to pay rent. All of those things are going to become so much more complicated when they don’t have the coverage that they need. And let’s not forget many of those 1.5 million [Pennsylvanians relying on the ACA] are children.”
Christopher Calkins: “People with pre-existing conditions like cancer could be denied care and coverage by insurance companies. That’s part of why I’m so concerned about what Donald Trump has said he wants to do in repealing the Affordable Care Act and replacing it with something that he just has a ‘concept of a plan’ for at the moment.”
Pennsylvania Capital Star: Pennsylvania Democrats slam Trump’s ‘concepts of a plan’ to replace the Affordable Care Act
[Abigail Hakas, 9/18/24]
At a campaign event for Vice President Kamala Harris in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, Pennsylvania Democratic state representatives and a local physician challenged former President Donald Trump’s comment during the Sept. 10 presidential debate that he had “concepts of a plan” to replace the Affordable Care Act.
Trump has previously said that Republicans should “never give up” attempting to overturn the ACA after his attempts at a repeal during his presidency failed.
The 2010 law remains popular; in 2024, some 435,000 Pennsylvanians have health care coverage through Pennie, the state’s health insurance marketplace established under the ACA, according to the Pennsylvania Health Insurance Exchange Authority. Nationwide, more than 20 million people signed up for ACA plans in 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a record high.
In Virginia:
On WVIR (NBC – Charlottesville, Virginia):
Reporter: “At the Harris-Trump debate, former President Trump said he did not yet have a health care plan, but did have a concept of a plan. Democrats say a concept is not concrete enough for the American people. They say voters should support the Affordable Care Act this upcoming election. According to speakers at the event, the Affordable Care Act would not be protected under another Donald Trump presidency. They say millions of Americans rely on the ACA for life-saving health care. This includes more than one million Virginians, one of whom spoke today about her fears over the future of her health care. She told me people of all ages should be engaged in conversations about affordable health care. The Virginia Democrats say everyone should get out and vote with health care in mind. Early voting starts in two days.”
On WCAV (CBS – Charlottesville, Virginia):
Reporter: “Virginia Democratic Delegates, former House of Delegates Democratic leader, and impacted Virginians held a press conference to address GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump pledging on the debate stage that he would repeal the Affordable Care Act. They say that they still don’t know what Trump’s plan is to deal with health insurance in the country except that he says after eight years, has a concept of a plan. That is not someone the country should elect to be president 45 million people rely on, they say.”
Former Virginia Delegate David Toscano: “45 million people rely on the Affordable Care Act. When Harris and Walz are elected, those 45 million will be protected and additional people will be protected as well. So we can’t go back, we’re not going back. We’re going to go forward and we’re going to go forward with the Harris-Walz team.”
29 News: Charlottesville Democrats urge voters to consider healthcare on election day
[Avery Davis, 9/18/24]
Charlottesville-area Democrats said a concept of a healthcare plan is not good enough this November.
With less than two months until election day, some party leaders rallied supporters with a message that a Kamala Harris victory is synonymous with a public health victory.
Speakers urged their audience, “we can’t go back, we’re not going back”, “concepts don’t give insulin to diabetics,” and, “a second Donald Trump presidency would be a disaster.”
“It is not appropriate for a candidate for the presidency to say he has a concept of a plan for healthcare,” 54th District Delegate Katrina Callsen said.
Former Virginia delegate David Toscano said 45 million Americans rely on the Affordable Care Act for healthcare, and this includes more than one million Virginians. Toscano said a Trump win could change this.
In Wisconsin:
Daily Cardinal: ‘This is life or death’: Democrats make case for Affordable Care Act in Wisconsin
[Wanwa Omot, 9/17/24]
Sen. Kelda Roys, D-Madison, spoke about health care stakes in Wisconsin and the necessity of the Affordable Care Act at a Madison press conference held on behalf of the Harris-Walz campaign Monday.
“The stakes for Wisconsinites in particular could not be greater, especially when it comes to our health care. We were one vote away in the United States Senate from having the Affordable Care Act gone, leaving millions of people without coverage,” Roys said.
Badger Herald: UW student talks healthcare at Harris press conference
[Sophie Wooldridge, 9/16/24]
Madison healthcare advocates gathered before the State Capitol Monday to rally for Vice President Kamala Harris and hold former President Donald Trump accountable for his plans to replace the Affordable Care Act.
University of Wisconsin junior and College Democrats of UW-Madison communications director Whitman Bottari spoke with Dr. Sophie Kramer and Sen. Kelda Roys on the potential impacts of Trump’s plan on American healthcare. […]
“I’m terrified of what a second Donald Trump presidency would mean for me and my access to healthcare,” Bottari said.
In Nebraska:
On KETV (ABC – Omaha, Nebraska):
Reporter: “Today, the Harris-Walz campaign fired back at Donald Trump’s claims to repeal the Affordable Care Act.” […]
Reporter: “Health care is getting the national and local spotlight. Former President Donald Trump has previously called to repeal the Affordable Care Act when he was president, falling just one vote short of that… Now, at Charles Drew today, the Harris-Walz campaign criticized the former president, saying the ACA has gotten rid of the barriers that thousands of Nebraskans face.”
ACA beneficiary Audrey Horn: “If Donald Trump gets reelected, I don’t know how we would pay for health insurance, or doctor’s visits, or my husband’s prescription.”
Nebraska Public Media: Harris supporters worry Trump could overturn Affordable Care Act in second term
[Brian Beach, 9/19/24]
Several supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris gathered inside Charles Drew Health Center in North Omaha Thursday to express their concern that former president Donald Trump would repeal the Affordable Care Act if given a second term.
State Sen. Jen Day, a registered Democrat who represents Sarpy County in the Nebraska Legislature, was among them.
She said a record number of Nebraskans are now insured by the Affordable Care Act and is worried a second Trump term would undo that progress.
“He wants to take us backward to a time where patients had to choose between putting food on the table and getting the care that they need, where infants with heart defects could be refused insurance coverage, where cancer patients went into hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt to get access to the care they needed to survive,” she said. […]
Audrey Horn, a Omaha resident who relies on the Affordable Care Act for health coverage, also spoke in Omaha Thursday. She said she doesn’t know how she would pay for health insurance or doctor’s visits if the legislation is overturned.
“Trump has never had to worry a day in his life about whether he could afford his medication he needs or how to pay his bills,” she said. “You can’t really understand the life-threatening impacts of not having reliable health care unless you’ve lived it.”
In North Carolina:
On WXII (NBC – Greensboro, North Carolina):
Reporter: “Today, local Democrats called out the Trump-Vance ticket over Obamacare.”
North Carolina state Senator Michael Garrett: “Let’s be clear, we know exactly what Trump’s plans are. […] [Trump’s plan] means let us go back, because that means that health insurance companies can once again deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions.”
In New Hampshire:
Conway Daily Sun: Marsh blasts Trump, champions the ACA
[Daymond Steer, 9/19/24]
State Senate candidate Bill Marsh and several other local Democrats recently held a press conference in Conway Village and warned that if Republicans are voted into office, it could mean a health-care disaster for New Hampshirites. […]
Marsh said that 189,000 New Hampshire residents have received health coverage via the Affordable Care Act [marketplace] and that, thanks to the ACA, the percentage of uninsured Granite Staters dropped from 10.6 percent in 2012 to 4.9 percent in 2022. Also, before the ACA, people with pre-existing conditions were often denied health care.
“That is why I am so concerned about (Republican presidential candidate Donald) Trump’s threats to terminate the Affordable Care Act” as well as Medicaid expansion, Marsh said.
He said Trump “wants to take us backward by enacting his extreme Project 2025 agenda, which proposes eliminating Medicaid expansion and reducing the federal match for Medicaid to 50 percent. This is life and death for one out of seven people in Carroll County,” Marsh said.
