On the recordSeptember 29, 2020
I am here today to make clear what is at stake if the Supreme Court overturns the Affordable Care Act in the middle of this global pandemic. This is something the Trump administration has been trying for, for years. It came out of a case in Texas, and they brought it all the way now to the U.S. Supreme Court. It has been over 9 months since the United States had its first confirmed case of the coronavirus. Now we have over 7 million cases and, tragically, over 200,000 people have died. It has been 9 months but still we do not have a national testing strategy in place--something that would not only save lives but also would be a great help in having the ability to open our economy again. We don't have sufficient contact tracing or clear guidance to schools and businesses of how to keep their students, employees, and customers safe. Nearly 30 million people are out of work, and today many are still struggling to pay their rent and put food on the table for their families. Millions of kids are sometimes going to school in hybrid models--in for a few days, out of a few days. They are learning to use Zoom. First graders--one of my staff members in Minnesota, her first grade daughter is learning the mute and unmute button. But instead of being honest with the American people about how serious this was, we have had a President who hid the truth about how deadly the virus is and how it spreads. This is personal to me.…
