The following article by John T. Bennett was posted on the Roll Call website September 5, 2018:
Protections were a key part of the 2010 health care law
Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump’s second Supreme Court nominee, on Wednesday declined to say whether he would vote to overturn a statute requiring insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions.
The Barack Obama-era 2010 health care law includes protections for people with pre-existing conditions, but the Trump Justice Department has said it would not defend the provision. Democrats have signaled they view any effort to save it as a solid midterm campaign message.
Senate Judiciary Committee member Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., said during a private meeting, the sitting federal appellate court judge would not guarantee that he would vote to uphold the pre-existing protections. The high court nominee did the same during his confirmation hearing before the panel.