DNC Chair Tom Perez released the following statement on the 10th anniversary of President Obama signing the Affordable Care Act into law:

“The world is in crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic is a sobering reminder of just how important health care is American families. Democrats understand that, which is why 10 years ago today, President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law. This landmark legislation represented the largest overhaul of our health care system in half a century and improved the lives of millions of Americans.

“Thanks to this law, more than 20 million Americans have gained coverage; the uninsured rate in the United States dropped to a record low; insurers cannot deny or drop coverage for people with preexisting conditions; young people can stay on their parents’ plans until they’re 26 years old; states have been able to expand Medicaid, offering care to millions more Americans; more than 55 million women have gained access to birth control with no co-pay; and insurers can no longer impose cruel annual and lifetime limits on the care you can receive.

“These reforms have saved lives and made our country stronger. And they have never been more important than right now, as we confront one of the most dangerous pandemics in modern history. Yet, President Trump and Republican lawmakers have made it their mission to repeal the ACA. They’ve tried to pass bill after bill that would kick millions off their health insurance, gut funding for Medicaid, and strip coverage protections from people with preexisting conditions. And when their repeal efforts have failed, they’ve gone to court in an attempt to destroy the law.

“As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of this historic law, Democrats are recommitting ourselves to a simple but powerful principle: Health care is a right, and Republican efforts to take it away are wrong. Make no mistake: health care is on the ballot in 2020. And the American people are ready to elect a president they can trust to protect it.”