DNC Chair Tom Perez released the following statement today, as opening briefs are submitted in California v. Texas:

“The cruelty of Donald Trump and the Republican Party truly knows no bounds. During the worst health crisis of our time, Trump and Republicans are fighting to strip protections from as many as 133 million Americans with preexisting conditions and take health care away from 20 million Americans.

“Americans are relying on our health care system now more than ever before, and the Affordable Care Act is one of our most critical tools to protect Americans from the consequences of the coronavirus. Now, as more than 30 million Americans have filed for unemployment, Trump and Republicans are moving full steam ahead with their lawsuit and refusing to reopen the ACA’s open enrollment period to expand access to coverage.

“Democrats believe health care is a right, not a privilege – and so do the American people. That’s why the ACA is more popular than ever. It has significantly reduced the uninsured rate, protected people with preexisting conditions, and helped ensure that Americans don’t go bankrupt simply because they get sick. Trump doesn’t want to admit it, but right now he’s relying on key provisions in the ACA to fight the spread of this virus – all while he and Republicans are stopping at nothing to take the entire law away. The American people need a president who will protect their care, not someone who puts corporate profits ahead of people’s well-being. They need Joe Biden.”