Democrats Push Senate to Take Legal Action Backing Pre-existing Condition Protections

The following article by Niels Lesniewski was posted on the Roll Call website July 19, 2018:

McCaskill and Manchin among leaders of the effort

Sen. Manchin, D-W.Va., shakes hands with Atty General Morrisey, who is also running for U.S. Senate. The two are on opposite sides of a debate over pre-existing conditions that could become a part of their campaigns. Credit: Sarah Silbiger, CQ Roll Call file photo

Updated 3:15 p.m. | In a possible preview of Senate Democrats’ midterm political messaging, Democratic senators want the chamber to go to court to defend health insurance protections for people with pre-existing conditions.

Two of the Democrats leading the effort face Republican challengers in 2018 who have signed on to the legal effort that could undermine the regulations from the 2010 health care law: state attorneys general in Missouri, Josh Hawley, and West Virginia, Patrick Morrisey.

“We’re asking all of our colleagues, and our friends on the Republican side of the aisle to join with us … to stand up against this horrible, horrible position that the attorneys general offices in my state and Claire’s state, but also the Department of Justice,” West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin III said Thursday.

View the complete article here.