By Felesia Martin
Vice Chair, Democratic Party of Wisconsin
Felesia Martin
Obamacare is once again under threat. This news shouldn’t come as a surprise. Donald Trump’s Republican party has long pursued an extreme agenda aimed squarely at attacking our freedoms—especially our right to access affordable health care coverage.
Last Saturday, Donald Trump renewed his threats on Obamacare, promising to “terminate” this cornerstone of President Barack Obama’s legacy, which has enabled hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites and their families to access affordable care.
The scary part? Trump is not alone — almost every elected Republican wants to repeal the ACA, including those in our home state. Wisconsin Republicans Mike Gallagher, Glenn Grothman, and Ron Johnson voted to repeal the ACA back in 2017 and, given the chance, would certainly do so again. Republicans in Wisconsin at every level have openly campaigned on eliminating the law entirely.
This is in stark contrast to the work President Biden and Vice President Harris have done to improve health care and lower costs. Thanks to President Biden’s leadership, we’ve capped insulin for seniors at $35, and Medicare can now negotiate to lower the costs of prescription drugs. And thanks to President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, millions of families are able to save an average of $800 per person per year on their premiums.
It’s time for Republicans like Trump to read the room. Year after year, in poll after poll, broad majorities of Americans support Obamacare. Popular provisions, such as allowing young people to stay on their parents’ plan until age 26—a policy authored and championed by our own Senator Tammy Baldwin—continue to protect access to care for millions of Americans. The only people opposed to Obamacare are Republican politicians like Trump and Ron Johnson.
In the face of relentless Republican assaults on our health care, we must stand and fight to protect our rights. It’s critical that we reelect President Biden and Democrats next year to protect and expand health care access—in Wisconsin and nationwide.