Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine’s Statement On Rep. Roy Blunt’s Assertion that Adults Don’t Deserve Preexisting Conditions’ Protections

Washington – Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Tim Kaine issued the following statement in response to Missouri Republican Senate candidate Rep. Roy Blunt’s contention that adults don’t deserve protections from preexisting-condition discrimination because adults with preexisting conditions “have done nothing to take care of themselves”:

“Roy Blunt’s callous assertion that adults with preexisting conditions like cancer, diabetes, congenital heart disease and others do not deserve the right to health insurance because they ‘have done nothing to take care of themselves’ shows an insensitivity to the people of Missouri and America.

“Thanks to Democrats’ hard work to pass health reform, millions of Americans who have been discriminated against by insurance companies because of their preexisting conditions soon will find that they no longer have to fear being denied health insurance.

“Starting this year, health insurance companies will no longer be able to deny insurance to children with preexisting conditions, and the most vulnerable adults with preexisting conditions will be able to enter a high risk pool to obtain insurance. In coming years, adults will no longer be discriminated against through coverage denial because of preexisting conditions. That will be a victory for Missourians and the American people.

“Sadly, if Roy Blunt and his Republican colleagues had their way, health insurance companies would still be able to continue their worst practices and leave millions uninsured due to preexisting conditions – even though many of the conditions are totally beyond the control of the person in need of health care.

“There is no mistaking who Roy Blunt and the Republicans stand with, and it is clearly not the people of Missouri. Fortunately, thanks to health insurance reform, Missourians and millions of other Americans across the country now have greater control over their health insurance decisions and have greater protection against insurance company discrimination.

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DNC Chairman Tim Kaine’s Statement on the Senate’s Vote to Proceed to Full Floor Debate of Health Insurance Reform Legislation

Washington – DNC Chairman Tim Kaine issued the following statement after the Senate voted to begin full debate of health insurance reform legislation.

“Today, the Senate took another historic step on the road to enacting health insurance reform. By clearing this first procedural hurdle, senators will now have an opportunity to debate the health reform bill on the Senate floor and continue to make progress on delivering health insurance reform to the American people.  I want to extend my congratulations to Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senator Dick Durbin for their tenacity in bringing the bill to the floor, and thank countless other senators for their commitment to reform as the Senate begins this historic debate.

“While unfortunate, it’s not terribly surprising that no Republicans voted in favor of the motion to proceed. Defenders of the status quo have been working to derail reform for months – unfortunately, their obstructionist, just-say-no tactics represent more of the same. No matter. We know that there are some members of the Republican Party who understand the urgent need for health insurance reform and we remain hopeful that we can continue to work with those members to find common ground on this historic effort to pass health insurance reform that provides greater security and stability to Americans who have insurance and more quality affordable options to those who don’t.  The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act would bring down the skyrocketing costs of care for American families, businesses and our government, and reduce the national deficit $130 billion by 2019.

“We’ve been trying to reform our broken system since Harry Truman was president — now, we’re in the home stretch. This time, President Obama and Congressional Democrats will deliver health insurance reform to the American people.”