Biden on Supreme Court fight: "This is about whether or not the ACA will exist"
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Joe Biden made health care the overwhelming focus of his remarks from Wilmington, Delaware, on Sunday, stressing that the Senate confirmation battle over Judge Amy Coney Barrett's nomination to the Supreme Court is about preserving the Affordable Care Act in the midst of a pandemic.
Why it matters: Democrats are aggressively pushing the message that Barrett, who has previously criticized Chief Justice John Roberts for his 2012 ruling salvaging the ACA, will seek to invalidate the law when the Supreme Court hears a Trump administration-backed lawsuit against it on Nov. 10.
- President Trump himself tweeted on Sunday morning that the Supreme Court ending Obamacare would be a "big WIN" for the country.
- Trump has said that he is in favor of protecting pre-existing conditions, but those protections are only at risk because of the Republican lawsuit to dismantle the ACA.
What he's saying: "The clear focus is, this is about your health care. This is about whether or not the ACA will exist. This is about whether or not pre-existing conditions will continue to be covered. This is about whether or not a woman can be charged more for the same procedure as a man. This is about people's health care in the middle of a pandemic," Biden said.
The big picture: Biden said he has not reached out to Senate Republicans to ask them to reconsider holding a confirmation vote before the election, but argued that the consequences will be seen at the ballot box. He declined to address whether he would support expanding the Supreme Court if Democrats take control of the Senate and White House.
Go deeper: Inside the Democrats' strategy for Barrett's confirmation fight
