As oral arguments start today in the federal lawsuit that would strip protections for hundreds of thousands of Nevadans living with a pre-existing medical condition, voters are being reminded of Sen. Dean Heller’s craven silence on this lawsuit. Heller has refused multiple opportunities to denounce the Trump Administration’s decision to support a legal challenge arguing the Affordable Care Act’s protections for people with pre-existing conditions are unconstitutional:

 

• Heller recently “refused to talk about the lawsuit” when asked by POLITICO.

 

• Heller’s spokeswoman “did not comment about Heller’s lack of support for the resolution authorizing Senate counsel to defend the ACA in court” to the Las Vegas Sun.

• Heller’s office also “did not respond when directly asked whether Heller disagrees with the administration’s argument” by The Hill.

 

 

Instead of joining his opponent Jacky Rosen in opposing the GOP lawsuit, Heller decided to introduce a sham bill that has been described as “a lie,” “a fraud,” an illusion, “a mirage,” and “kind of like throwing a 10 foot rope to somebody in a 20 foot hole.”

According to Nevada’s top health exchange official, Heller’s bill “arguably weakens [the ACA’s pre-existing conditions protections] to the detriment of consumers, providers and Nevada’s public health.”

Nevada State Democratic Party spokesperson Sarah Abel released the following statement:

“If Dean Heller had the spine to fight for people with pre-existing conditions, he’d stop supporting Republican plans in Congress to slash coverage protections for pre-existing conditions and he’d stand up against his party’s effort to overturn the Affordable Care Act’s pre-existing conditions protections in federal court. Roughly one in four Nevadans have a pre-existing medical condition. This GOP lawsuit and Senator Heller’s partisan agenda are a direct attack on health care protections for hundreds of thousands of Nevada families.”