TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — It’s been 14 years since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, or ACA.
On Friday morning, Arizona democrats gathered at Abrams Public Health Center in south-side Tucson for the 14th anniversary of the law.
The press conference featured State Senator Priya Sundareshan and State Representative Stephanie Stahl-Hamilton, who discussed the law’s impact and what it means for voters going into the 2024 general election.
“Even though Americans have been reliant on the ACA for over a decade,” Sundareshan said. “We know that there are threats.”
The event comes after former President Donald Trump called the ACA a "catastrophe" and promised to repeal the law during a speech in Newton, Iowa.
Tucson resident Alex Kack also spoke, recounting his experiences taking care of his mother, who was diagnosed with MS and epilepsy. He also talked about his father, who had a preexisting medical condition and struggled to care for his wife while Alex was a child, putting on a “brave face” despite his condition.
Kack talked about the importance of the ACA in his own life, recalling former President Obama’s campaign.
“I watched a man run for the presidency on this promise that people like me and my family wouldn’t have to struggle,” he said. “And I see as attempts are made to repeal it.”
He says that the ACA helps families beyond just providing affordable healthcare.
“I know this firsthand,” Kack says. “You cannot have the life, liberty or pursuit of happiness if you’re disabled, if you’re under a mountain of debt, if you’re in pain and not sure what’s wrong with you and too afraid of the bill and how painful that bill will be.”
Along with protecting the ACA, Arizona democrats say that, if elected, they will focus on providing additional protections for contraception and abortion access.
The Biden Administration has organized similar ACA anniversary events across the country over the past week.
