On November 10, the Supreme Court is to hear oral arguments for California v. Texas, with California leading the defense of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) alongside other allies against the Repeal Lawsuit. The Trump Administration and state attorney generals from over 15 states are in support of the lawsuit which would repeal the ACA.

Our Catholic faith teaches us that access to quality, affordable health care for all is a fundamental human right. The ACA protects the most vulnerable among us. If the repeal lawsuits succeeds, more than 21 million people would lose health insurance, according to the Urban Institute. Not only would the Trump Administration’s use of the Supreme Court to destroy the ACA  be an abuse of power, but the decision to repeal the Affordable Care Act would risk many lives. Notably, the decision to overturn the ACA would affect the 133 million Americans who have a pre-existing healthcare condition. In the middle of a pandemic where 210,000 Americans lost their lives from COVID-19, the Trump Administration continues to dismantle affordable, accessible  health care.

In 2010, NETWORK joined tens of thousands of Catholic Sisters in their letter to Congress supporting healthcare legislation. In 2017, more than 7,000 Sisters signed NETWORK Lobby’s “Nun Letter” against the ACA Repeal. In the 2017 letter, NETWORK executive director Sister Simone Campbell, SSS,  wrote, “As Catholic Sisters, we stand by our belief that health is a universal right and urge Senators to vote no on the motion to proceed for any bill that would repeal the ACA and cut Medicaid.”

The Affordable Care Act is vital for our health care system, with patient protections and health benefits which have raised the quality of care for millions of people in the U.S. Its repeal would be detrimental. With President Trump failing to win his reelection campaign, we still face significant challenges in protecting legislation like the Affordable Care Act. That’s why NETWORK is holding a Post-Election Debrief webinar on Tuesday, November 10 at 4:00 PM Eastern/1:00 PM Pacific. Click here to register for the webinar and learn more about what to expect following the 2020 Election.