Washington, DC—Below is a statement by United States Conference of Mayors President Columbia (SC) Mayor Steve Benjamin on U.S. District Court Judge Reed O’Connor’s ruling on the Affordable Care Act:
“While the Affordable Care will remain intact for now despite U.S. District Court Judge Reed O’Connor’s ruling late Friday night, the nation’s mayors remain deeply concerned about the ongoing threat to the law. If this decision is upheld, it stands to eliminate protections for nearly 20 million Americans who are insured through the ACA and puts those with pre-existing conditions at even greater risk.
“Mayors across this country have seen firsthand the devastating impact of a broken healthcare system. We believe that healthcare should be viewed as a human right, not simply a privilege for those can afford access to it. To that end, we hope that the appeals courts will throw out this ruling and we can get back to work on creating stronger and healthier communities.”