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Twelve years ago today with the help of Democrats, President Barack Obama signed into law the Affordable Care Act, which has substantially lowered the cost of health care for many Granite Staters. Today’s anniversary is also a reminder that every single NH GOP Senate candidate would vote with Mitch McConnell to overturn the ACA, raising health care costs and ending protections for pre-existing conditions.
Republicans said that if they re-take their Senate majority, raising taxes on families and ending the ACA will be their top priorities. This means that if Republicans had their way, they could kick 155,000 Granite Staters off their health insurance, end protections for 572,000 Granite Staters with pre-existing conditions, and leave the 70,200 Granite Staters enrolled in Medicaid Expansion without care, including those struggling with substance use disorders.
Even though ending the ACA would take away affordable quality health care for 155,000 Granite Staters, all of the NH GOP Senate candidates have made it clear that they would vote to repeal the ACA. Chuck Morse wrote to Mitch McConnell in 2017 and praised him for trying to overturn the ACA. Kevin Smith said he was “disappointed” that the Supreme Court didn’t strike down the ACA. And Don Bolduc has repeatedly criticized the ACA for taking over health care from the private industry, saying it would cause a “huge expansion of the entitlement state.”
In stark contrast, Senator Hassan as Governor worked across the aisle to expand Medicaid and was one of the deciding votes to save the ACA in 2017.
“The Affordable Care Act has provided Granite Staters with access to life-saving quality, affordable health care for over a decade now. And yet, every single one of the Republicans running for US Senate would vote to kick over one hundred thousand Granite Staters off of their health care, end protections for pre-existing conditions, and raise costs on families,” said NHDP Chair Ray Buckley. “While Chuck Morse, Kevin Smith, and Don Bolduc would not hesitate to rip away health care from New Hampshire families, Granite Staters know that Senator Hassan will always fight to protect our access to quality, affordable health care.”