U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Supports Senate Resolution to Protect Americans with Pre-Existing Conditions

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin today announced her support for Senator Mark Warner’s (D-VA) effort to force a Senate vote on a resolution to protect people with pre-existing conditions from another attempt by the Trump administration to gut the Affordable Care Act.

Senator Warner filed a discharge petition on a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution yesterday that would roll back the 1332 waiver rule, another Trump administration effort to sabotage Americans’ health care and undermine the critical pre-existing condition protections that 130 million Americans rely on, including more than two million Wisconsinites. The rule gives states the green light to use taxpayer dollars to push junk health insurance plans that cost more and cover less. Under these plans, insurance companies can charge people more if they have a pre-existing condition, can deny specific benefits – or they can deny them coverage altogether.

“The Trump administration has rewritten the rules on guaranteed health care protections that millions of Americans depend on. They have expanded the use of junk insurance plans that can deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions and don’t have to cover essential services like prescription drugs, emergency room visits and maternity care,” said Senator Baldwin. “Anyone who says they support health care coverage for people with pre-existing conditions should vote for this resolution. This is an opportunity for Democrats and Republicans to protect people’s access to quality, affordable health care when they need it most.”

Congressional Review Act resolutions exercise Congress’ authority to review and overturn rules implemented by the executive branch. Once a rule is finalized, the Congressional Review Act provides Congress 60 legislative days to vote on it. Unlike other legislation on the Senate floor, a Congressional Review Act resolution only needs a simple majority to pass and can be brought to the Senate floor for a vote with 30 signatures. As a result of the petition filed by Senator Warner on Wednesday, Senators must vote on overturning the rule by November 12.