GOP #OHSEN Candidates All In On Repealing The Affordable Care Act
March 8, 2022
Repealing The Affordable Care Act Could Spike Healthcare Costs, End Protections For Ohioans With Pre-Existing Conditions
Columbus, OH — Yesterday, Wisconsin U.S. Senator Ron Johnson admitted that if Republicans take back the U.S. Senate, they are prepared to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which would spike healthcare costs for working Ohioans, close rural hospitals, kick nearly 1 million Ohioans off their health insurance, and end protections for Ohioans with pre-existing conditions. The threat comes just days after Senate Republicans rolled out a plan that
“calls for new taxes on tens of millions of Americans,” including a tax hike that falls disproportionately on the shoulders of working-class Ohioans and retirees living on a fixed income.
This attack on Ohioans’ healthcare is nothing new for the GOP Senate field in Ohio, which includes several candidates who have already called for the repeal of the ACA outright. Josh Mandel said he was “hopeful” he would be the 51st vote to repeal the ACA. Jane Timken admitted she got involved in politics because she was motivated to repeal the ACA. Mike Gibbons called the law “a disaster” and said, “After we repeal ObamaCare, we need to start from scratch.” Matt Dolan said that the law was “conceived wrongly, implemented poorly and has become a tool of partisan grift.”
The exception is J.D. Vance, who in 2017 said he opposed one of the many Republican attempts to repeal the ACA. But as we have seen throughout this campaign, Vance has changed his position on many issues since 2017, so he may well have reversed himself here.
“While working families are already feeling the squeeze from rising costs, Republicans are freely admitting they plan to raise healthcare costs and rip coverage away from nearly 1 million Ohioans. The out-of-touch millionaires running for U.S. Senate owe Ohioans an answer for why they want to end protections for Ohioans with pre-existing conditions, close rural hospitals, and raise prescription drug costs in order to cut taxes for their wealthy and well-connected friends,” said Michael Beyer, a spokesperson for the Ohio Democratic Party.