Congressman Kim Presses Secretary Azar on
Efforts to Abolish the Affordable Care Act

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, during a hearing of the House Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis, Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) pressed Secretary of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar, on the Administration’s failure to have a plan in place to help the millions who have lost health care coverage due to the coronavirus pandemic and the potential millions who would lose coverage if the U.S. Supreme Court abolishes the Affordable Care Act through the upcoming Texas v California case.

Congressman Kim began his questioning by asking Secretary Azar if he could state how many Americans have lost their health care coverage during the coronavirus pandemic. Secretary Azar could not recall the number of Americans currently without coverage due to the crisis and would not commit to answering direct questions on whether it was a good idea to take health care coverage away from Americans during a pandemic.

Congressman Kim called the threat of taking health care and pre-existing condition coverage away from millions more Americans, “an enormously dangerous situation.”

Congressman Kim’s opening statement and first set of questions can be found here, and his second set of questions which included a commitment by Secretary Azar to allow FDA career scientists to make the final determination of the safety of a potential coronavirus vaccine can be found here.

Last month, Congressman Kim released ‘The Way Forward: Preparing America for a Second Wave’, a set of recommendations for public health leaders and public officials to prepare for a potential second wave of COVID-19. The full report can be found on Congressman Kim’s website by clicking here.

Additional information about Congressman Kim’s actions to contain the Coronavirus pandemic and address the ongoing economic impact can be found on his website by clicking here.

Congressman Kim is a member of the bipartisan House Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis, where he serves as one of twelve members of the House tasked with conducting oversight over programs aimed at ending the Coronavirus pandemic and helping address the economic impact it’s having on the American people. Congressman Kim is also a member of the House Armed Services Committee and the House Committee on Small Business. More information about Congressman Kim can be found on his website by clicking here.

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