Virginia—As Virginians grow increasingly concerned about how Donald Trump’s actions will impact their ability to access quality, affordable health care, GOP Attorney General candidate John Adams faces growing pressure to come clean on how he’ll stand up for our families. In recent weeks, Trump has taken executive action that threatens women’s access to birth control and moved to eliminate the payment of subsidies that help thousands of low income Virginians afford health care.
But while sitting Attorney General Mark Herring has strongly criticized these actions, even suing the Trump Administration over their unilateral action to end subsidies and dramatically raise the cost of health insurance, John Adams has refused to speak up. Intomorrow morning’s final debate of the campaign, John Adams has one last chance to stand up for Virginia families and our access to quality, affordable health care.
“Attorney General Mark Herring has consistently been a champion for our families, even suing the Trump Administration to preserve our access to health care,” said Progress Virginia executive director Anna Scholl. “John Adams, on the other hand, twice filed legal briefs with the Supreme Court to restrict Virginians access to affordable birth control and now says that as Attorney General, health care is something, “you simply have no control over.” Our families need a champion to fight to keep us healthy and safe. When given the opportunity, John Adams has either passed the buck or actively undermined our well-being.”
In a video posted online on October 6th, Adams asserted that healthcare is, “something that, as attorney general, you simply have no control over.” His statement is belied not only by former Republican Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s aggressive attempts to enact strict sham restrictions on abortion providers and undermine and overturn the Affordable Care Act, but also by the Attorney General’s mandated responsibilities concerning health care provision. The office’s health professions unit is responsible for prosecuting providers that fail to comply with Virginia’s health regulations. The Attorney General’s office has also pursued litigation against Medicaid fraud and operates a consumer protection office that defends Virginians against deceitful scams, including in the health care field.
Adams also twice intervened in Supreme Court cases seeking to roll back the birth control mandate in the Affordable Care Act. He filed amicus briefs in both the Hobby Lobby and Little Sisters of the Poor cases advocating for employers to be able to restrict their employees’ access to reproductive health care.