On the recordJanuary 17, 2024
last week, we received remarkable news about a milestone in America's healthcare: A record 20 million Americans are now covered by health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. This is a sign of progress as we improve the quality of life and healthcare protections under President Biden. Having quality, affordable healthcare coverage means having peace of mind if you get a diagnosis, an accident, or if you need access to care and are facing medical debt. I know this story. I have been there. I was a law student at Georgetown when my wife and I were blessed with the birth of our first child, a baby girl born with a serious medical condition. As a young father without insurance, I can tell you, there is no greater feeling of helplessness. That is why Democrats have been committed to expanding health insurance to millions more Americans and ensuring it contains protections for patients with preexisting conditions. But even with these successes, there are serious gaps in America's healthcare system, gaps which are unimaginable until you learn specifically what I mean. I want to focus on one of them: access to dental care. I spent the August recess last year visiting small towns in Southern Illinois. I met with the new mayor of Carbondale, IL, Carolin Harvey. I asked her: OK. You have a U.S. Senator in your office, Mayor. What is your ask? What do you want? Her answer: pediatric dentistry, of all things. I couldn't imagine that.…