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Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12) issued the following statement after the Department of Justice announced it will no longer defend the Affordable Care Act’s pre-existing conditions provisions in court:

“Yesterday, taking John to the doctor, I was struck by the number of people terrified by the announcement that the Justice Department will no longer defend the Affordable Care Act’s protections for people with pre-existing conditions. A woman stopped us who had a stroke last year who had never had a health problem beforehand. She doesn’t know what she will do if pre-existing conditions are no longer covered. She won’t be eligible for Medicare for several years.

“This is not some academic debate – this is life for death for people. I’m regularly reminded how real this is for the working men and women we all represent.  I also met the mother of a child who had juvenile diabetes and was worried about her child’s future. Could the Justice Department’s decision impact her child’s success in life?

“During debate over repealing the Affordable Care Act, I heard my colleagues on the other side of the aisle say time and time again that they wanted to protect people with pre-existing conditions.  If they are serious about this, then they should join Democrats in urging the Administration to reverse this decision that jeopardizes care for 130 million Americans with a pre-existing condition. There is plenty of space for us to work on improving American’s access to health care insurance. Taking away pre-existing conditions coverage is not the solution.”