The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), America’s original civil rights organization, released the following statement in response to the two executive orders signed by President Trump yesterday to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, by promoting “junk” insurance plans and ending cost-sharing subsidies:

“President Trump’s executive orders to kill the Affordable Care Act – and make no mistake, this action is intended to do exactly that – are a new low, even for a White House that has defended white supremacists, condoned sexual harassment, and lied to the public. As President of the United States, Donald Trump has a duty to uphold the rule of law – but in this case, it is disturbingly apparent that he is actually determined to sabotage it,” said Derrick Johnson, interim President and CEO, NAACP.

“Let’s be clear: the Affordable Care Act was not only passed by Congress, but also upheld by the Supreme Court. It has the approval of more than half of Americans – more than the President himself can boast. It has provided 20 million people – and counting – with access to more affordable, more comprehensive, quality health care services, including women and children, individuals with pre-existing conditions, and communities of color.”

“I have said it before and I will say it again: President Trump does not care about protecting the health of Americans. To end the Affordable Care Act in this way is a desperate maneuver to engineer a political win for his right-wing base, after nearly a year of covert, detrimental action.”

“Over the past 2 days, I have heard many ask, in the face of the President’s willingness to disrupt our health care system without Congressional approval, what can we do now? And the answer is this: We continue to fight for our health care, for what we were promised, for what is our right as Americans.

“I am urging all of our members to call their senators and representatives in Washington and urge them to defend the Affordable Care Act. And most importantly, if they have not enrolled in a health care plan, we ask them to mark their calendars for the next Open Enrollment period, which starts on November 1st. By enrolling for a quality, affordable health care plan, we can not only lift up the Affordable Care Act, but also make our voices heard.

“One thing is certain – the NAACP will fight. For millions of Americans, this is the fight of our lives.”

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