Statement by U.S. Conference of Mayors President Steve Benjamin

Washington, DC—Below is a statement by U.S. Conference of Mayors President, Columbia (SC) Mayor Steve Benjamin, on the Department of Justice’s decision to support a federal judge’s ruling that the Affordable Care Act should be overturned:

“Yesterday’s decision by the Department of Justice to support a federal judge’s ruling that the entire Affordable Care Act should be thrown out continues to promote a senseless political game that threatens the health and security of millions of Americans. To be clear, the Department of Justice is supposed to uphold, not attack, federal legislation.

“As such, the nation’s mayors remain deeply concerned about the ongoing threat to the Affordable Care Act. If eliminated, the ripple effect would be felt far and wide, putting tens of millions of people in jeopardy. Mayors have long witnessed the very real human toll that unaffordable health insurance has on the lives of those living in our communities. To scrap the law entirely will send us back to a time of great economic uncertainty, where people will not be able access the care they need, and local public health systems will be left scrambling to fill the void with inadequate resources.

“By no means is the Affordable Care Act perfect and, to that end, we stand with those in Congress who continue to work on making the legislation more effective. We hope that the appeals courts will throw out the ruling and we can stay focused on creating stronger and healthier communities.”