RICHMOND, Va — Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger today released the following statement marking seven years since the Virginia General Assembly passed Medicaid expansion — and reaffirming her commitment to protecting healthcare as Republicans in Washington try to take away affordable coverage from more than 250,000 Virginians.

“Today, hundreds of thousands of Virginians have access to quality, affordable healthcare because Governor Northam and Democratic leaders in the General Assembly led the charge to expand Medicaid in Virginia. Without this critical lifeline, parents, children, seniors, Veterans, and Virginians with pre-existing conditions across our Commonwealth would be unable to get the care they need without going bankrupt.

“It’s unacceptable that more than 15 years after the Affordable Care Act became law — paving the way for Medicaid expansion in Virginia, Republicans in Congress are still trying to take away Virginians’ healthcare. The dangerous legislation that U.S. House Republicans passed last week would cause more than 250,000 Virginians to lose their healthcare coverage, jeopardize Virginia’s rural hospitals, and risk driving up healthcare premiums for working families.

“I decided to run for Congress back in 2017 after I watched my representative vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act. As the next Governor of Virginia, I will always stand up to attempts to take healthcare coverage away from Virginia families. And come January, my administration will be focused on lowering healthcare and prescription drug costs, expanding access to affordable, quality healthcare for Virginians, and making the Commonwealth more affordable for every family.”

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