Dr. Kristin Lyerly: Ron Johnson Doesn't Want You To Have Health Care Print
Elections, Elected Officials, Political Parties
Written by WisDems Press, Philip Shulman   
Thursday, 31 March 2022 10:39

kristin-lyerly-md-commitmentGreen Bay Physician and HealthCare activist takes on Ron Johnson’s efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act and rip away protections for pre-existing conditions from Wisconsinites.


GREEN BAY, Wis. – In a new op-ed, Green Bay OB/GYN Dr. Kristin Lyerly lays out Ron Johnson’s long record of pushing to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and how he will prioritize ripping away protections for pre-existing conditions and health care from Wisconsinites should he win a third term.

See the key points below.

kristin-lyerly-mdThe Cap Times: Dr. Kristin Lyerly: Ron Johnson doesn't want you to have health care

  • …Just this month, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson announced that the Republican Party would once again prioritize repealing the ACA if they should win control of Congress in 2022, stripping health care away from millions and raising costs on the rest of us.
  • …Johnson, who first ran for the Senate in 2010 on a pledge that he would do everything in his power to repeal the Affordable Care Act, is once again making this a top priority if he wins reelection.
  • Johnson has built much of his career in the Senate on attempts to repeal the ACA. Despite his best efforts Johnson has, in his own words, been “particularly unsuccessful” because he hasn’t been able to deliver on this dangerous promise — but that’s not for a lack of trying.
  • In addition to taking dozens of votes to repeal the ACA, Johnson joined a malicious lawsuit that asked the Supreme Court to invalidate the law, which they would not do.
  • During this time [2017], Johnson led the charge on the repeal process, even specifically targeting the rule that prevented insurance companies from discriminating against people with preexisting conditions.
  • When Johnson was given the opportunity to stand up for the people of Wisconsin, he failed. Instead, he cast the deciding vote to move the full repeal of the ACA to the floor of the Senate.
  • The fact is, Johnson doesn’t believe every Wisconsinite should have quality, affordable health care. Rather, his actions belie his opinion that health care is a “privilege” for only those who can afford it.
  • He wants to roll the clock back to a time when getting pregnant could be considered a preexisting condition, or when insurance companies could cap how much they would pay for medicines and procedures. He wants to raise health care costs and keep Democrats from lowering the price of common, costly, lifesaving drugs like insulin.
  • And the contrast could not be more clear: Democrats, led by President Biden, have been laser-focused on finding ways to protect health insurance, expand the ACA and lower costs for working families. Biden has proposed capping the cost of insulin at $35 a month.
  • Democrats in Congress have been championing legislation like the No Surprises Act, which prevents hospitals and doctors from sending patients surprise medical bills in the event of emergencies. Every Wisconsin Democrat voted for the American Rescue Plan, which lowered health care costs for 212,000 Wisconsinites. Unsurprisingly, in a brazen display of partisanship, Johnson voted against both pieces of critical legislation — against the people of Wisconsin.
  • Whether you’re a Democrat, independent, or Republican, it is clear that Johnson is not looking out for your best interests. He has spent his time in Washington trying to rip health care away from you while working overtime to enrich himself and his wealthy donors.
  • Now he wants to raise your taxes and increase insurance premiums, selling out to Big Pharma and the country’s largest corporations to pay for his self-serving agenda.