27 Oct Amy Coney Barrett’s Confirmation Puts Nevadans Health Care and Reproductive Freedom at Risk

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 26, 2020
Contact: Will Pregman, wpregman@battlebornprogress.org, 702.752.0656

LAS VEGAS, NV – This evening, the United States Senate voted to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court on a 52-48 vote. Despite Senator Catherine Cortez Masto and Senator Jacky Rosen’s vote against the confirmation, Nevadans now face the reality of a Supreme Court hostile to their access to health care, including reproductive care and abortion.

Annette Magnus, Executive Director of Battle Born Progress, said the following:

“We are thankful for Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen for voting against this Supreme Court Justice confirmation, which is the latest effort by the Trump administration to dismantle the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ACA, over the past decade, has given life-saving coverage to more than 309,000 Nevadans and provided protections for the over 1.2 million Nevadans living with pre-existing conditions. By voting against this confirmation, both Senators also voted against taking away people’s access to reproductive care and abortion access, which would further endanger health and economic security for millions who are facing decisions about the future. 

“President Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have spent the last month packing the court with another anti-ACA Supreme Court nominee while thousands suffer at the hands of a deadly virus, go without jobs and income, and even lose their businesses. Despite 191,707 more unemployed Nevadans this year, increasing numbers of uninsured people, growing hunger and struggles to afford basics like housing, McConnell has refused to pass a relief package that would prevent further job loss and expand support for workers and families. 

“As a result of Republican elected leaders putting their politics over our priorities, Nevada is facing a budget shortfall of over $1.2 billion in the upcoming fiscal year that will put even more jobs, services and lives at risk while the rich keep getting richer. Billionaires have accrued over $931 billion more in wealth between mid-March and mid-October, the first six months of COVID. Repealing the ACA at the Supreme Court this November will give more tax breaks to the rich and drug corporations while taking healthcare from the rest of us. Millionaires would get an average tax break of $198,000 annually from ACA repeal and drug corporations, already the most profitable companies in America, would receive a $2.8 billion tax break annually if the ACA is overturned. It’s clear who President Trump and Mitch McConnell are prioritizing, and it’s not Nevada.” 

SPOKESPEOPLE ARE AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH

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