Two members of Maine's congressional delegation are calling for continued support of the Affordable Care Act in the walk up to the midterm elections.Independent Sen. Angus King and Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree spoke at the second stop of a health care advocacy bus tour headed across the U. S.
King says the ACA protects the approximately 50 percent of Mainers with pre-existing conditions. He vowed to keep fighting attempts to repeal the ACA or privatize Medicare.
"We've got to continue to fight against those," he said at the event in Portland Monday morning. "I call it a zombie proposal because it keeps coming back, and it's a terrible idea and we have to keep trying to push that back to try and protect Medicare as well as the Affordable Care Act."
King and Pingree stressed that the healthier Mainers are, the better society and the economy will be.
King said that there are ongoing attempts to undermine the ACA by Republicans in Congress. "And make no mistake - the Affordable Care Act is not collapsing, it's being mugged."
King highlighted attempts to shorten the ACA signup period and defund positions that help people sign up for healthcare as reasons for his concern.
The bus tour at which Maine politicians spoke will continue on across the country in coming weeks.