DPW Chair on AG Schimel Lawsuit Oral Arguments

Leah Vukmir, Scott Walker, Brad Schimel and Wisconsin Republicans up and down the ballot support gutting vital protections for Wisconsinites with pre-existing health conditions

MADISON — Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Martha Laning issued the following statement on the start of oral arguments in Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel’s lawsuit to strike down the Affordable Care Act’s protections for the 2.4 million Wisconsinites who have pre-existing conditions: 

“Today is a reminder that health care is on the ballot and the stakes couldn’t be higher for Wisconsin working families this November: U.S. Senate candidate Leah Vukmir, Gov. Scott Walker, and Attorney General Brad Schimel each support Republican efforts to gut protections for Wisconsinites with pre-existing conditions and strip health care access away from millions of Americans. Wisconsinites deserve leadership that will fight to protect their health care options, not destroy them.”

Background

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Leah Vukmir:

• Vukmir supports Attorney General Brad Schimel’s lawsuit to gut federal protections for Wisconsinites with pre-existing health conditions as a “necessary step.” 
   
• Vukmir supports Republican repeal plans in Congress to gut protections for Wisconsinites with pre-existing conditions. Last week, Vice President Mike Pence announced that Washington Republicans need Leah Vukmir in the U.S. Senate to jam through a Republican repeal plan that would gut protections for people with pre-existing conditions, strip coverage away from millions, and let insurance companies charge older Americans more for coverage. 
   
• Vukmir also supports the Trump Administration’s recent push for “junk insurance” plans that the AARP says would let insurance companies discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions and even charge older Americans more for coverage.

Gov. Scott Walker:

• Walker signed off on Schimel’s lawsuit to dismantle the ACA. If the lawsuit is successful, it could gut protections for the estimated 2.4 million Wisconsinites with preexisting conditions. 
   
• Last year, Walker was a vocal supporter of the Graham-Cassidy health bill, which would have repealed the ACA, slashed billions in federal funding to Wisconsin, and allowed states to weaken protections for people with preexisting conditions. Walker called the bill “awesome” and floated the idea of seeking a waiver to undermine health care protections. 
   
• Scott Walker refused to accept federal dollars to expand Medicaid. If Walker had taken the money, 70,000 more Wisconsin residents would have access to health coverage.

Attorney General Brad Schimel:

• Brad Schimel’s lawsuit to strike down the Affordable Care Act could cause the 2.4 million Wisconsinites with pre-existing conditions to lose affordable health care coverage.
   
• Schimel’s repeal of the ACA could also deny affordable coverage to those with histories of drug or alcohol abuse. Schimel has already failed to take meaningful action on the opioid crisis, but if successful, Schimel’s ACA lawsuit would cause even more pain for those struggling with addiction. 
   
• Brad Schimel has made his effort to rip coverage from Wisconsinites with pre-existing conditions a central focus of his re-election campaign, sending fundraising emails touting the lawsuit.