J. Scott Applewhite / AP
The Supreme Court is seen in Washington, early Monday, June 15, 2020.
Friday, June 26, 2020 | 9:49 a.m.
The Trump administration’s newest effort to overturn the Affordable Care Act would cause 309,000 Nevadans to lose their health insurance, according to a report from the Center for American Progress that offers the latest numbers on ACA coverage.
The Trump administration’s newest attempt to undercut the ACA came late Thursday, when it filed an 82-page brief with the Supreme Court arguing the law was unconstitutional and needed to be struck down.
The Democratic members of Nevada’s congressional delegation have firmly supported the ACA. Rep. Steven Horsford, whose district includes North Las Vegas and a large portion of the state’s rural area, is one of many House Democrats to throw their support behind the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act, which would expand on the ACA’s protections.
“We should be building on the Affordable Care Act to lower health costs, not ripping away every last benefit and protection that the law provides in the middle of a pandemic," he said in a written statement.
Rep. Susie Lee, whose district makes up much of Henderson, has been consistent in her backing of heath care protections, oftentimes sharing the story of her parents’ own struggles affording coverage.
Rep. Dina Titus, whose district makes up much of Las Vegas proper and the Las Vegas Strip, wrote in a March editorial in the Sun that lawmakers should work on expanding the ACA’s protections.
The Democratic House majority voted to intervene in the ongoing lawsuit, California v. Texas, on the first day of this congressional session, and the House filed a brief in favor of the ACA in early May. On a state level, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford also has filed in support of the ACA and intervened in the case.
Oral arguments in the case are expected in fall 2020.
The Center for American Progress, a progressive advocacy organization, reported that 23.3 million Americans stood to lose their coverage should the ACA be overturned.
