And livelihoods. The white house has become a covid19 hotspot driven by the president s ongoing denial of how serious this pandemic is. Not even contracting the virus and being hospitalized seems to have shaken him back to reality. In normal times, the senate would be focusing our attention on passing legislation to help the millions of americans suffering during this pandemic. But these are not normal times. Instead, Senate Republicans are rushing to put a nominee onto the Supreme Court to be the deciding vote to take Health Care Away from millions of people. President trump has been very clear about what he is doing. He has repeatedly promised to appoint Supreme Court justices who will strike down the aca. By nominating judge barrett the president is keeping his promise. In her speech at the white house , judge barrett aligned herself with her mentor, the late Justice Anthony scalia, who twice voted to strike down the aca. To help the president keep his promise a republican colleagues are rushing to confirm judge barrett in a hypocritical, illegitimate process meer weeks before the election. They want judge barrett seated in time to hear the republican lawsuit challenging the aca a week after the election. For americans dealing with this pandemic, it must seem outrageous that donald trump and Senate Republicans are determined to take away their health care and are just as determined to do nothing to help americans with a new covid relief bill. They are right. It is outrageous, but it is not surprising. Republicans have made it clear for the past decade that repealing the Affordable Care acts at the top of their hit list. Because two weeks after assuming control of the house in 2011 republicans voted to repeal the first time. Years, thext six next six years republicans made 70 votes in congress to eliminate provisions of the aca will repeal it altogether. Thee efforts culminated in Early Morning hours on july 28, 2017 when our late colleague, senator john mccain, gave his speech and saved health care for millions by one vote, his vote. Failures toheir 70 get rid of the aca in Congress Republicans have taken to the courts. The Trump Administration and 18 republicans, including those from texas, south carolina, and missouri, are at the Supreme Court right now trying to strike down the aca. All arguments in the case are scheduled for november 10, a mere week after election day. This legal effort has been turbocharged because of death of our champion Ruth Bader Ginsburg three weeks ago. Everythingas changed for donald trump and Senate Republicans. They are confident that victory at the Supreme Court is now within their grasp if the Senate Confirms judge barrett through this hypocritical, illegitimate process. The consequences of judge barretts confirmation would be devastating for millions of americans who would lose their health care during this pandemic. Even in normal times, without the threat of a pandemic, no one in our country should have to confront a major illness, worried that it might bankrupt their families. But we all know these are not normal times. Health care is the number one concern for so many people in our country, and they are rightly terrified that judge parra barrett judge barrett will overturn the aca and take away their health care. Storieso share two today. Kimberly dickens is from raleigh, north carolina. Before the Affordable Care act kimberly could not afford Health Insurance. Thankfully, the aca enabled her to get health care. She used that coverage to get a checkup and mammogram which found her breast cancer. With her Health Insurance she was able to get a mastectomy and has been cancer free sense. Emberley credits the aca for saving her life. She said, if it was not for the Affordable Care act, i probably would not have had that mammogram. I was diagnosed early. It scares me to think if i did not have insurance, how far advanced with th cancer have grown . Her story is not unique. In the years of all the battles of eliminating the aca we have heard from hundreds and thousands of constituents across the country sharing their health care stories. Dean and his daughter are from my home state of hawaii. Jordan is an Elementary School pnh. Er and has a rare blood condition that costs 500,000 per year for transfusions. Dean told me, without this medicine she will die. They live in fear that republicans will strike down the aca which would allow her Insurance Company to put lifetime caps on her benefits and she would be left without coverage for her life savings medication. Share how,to me to extremely terrified he is about his daughter losing access to Adequate Health care under the aca. Hes asked me to fight for her and that is what i am doing today. Health care is personal to kimberly, dean, jordan, and personal to me too. I know that having Health Insurance and access to health care saved my life. On the day when the Senate Confirmed neil gorsuch to the Supreme Court i got a routine chest xray before a scheduled surgery. A shadow on the xray and a later scan led to my diagnosis of stage iv Kidney Cancer and gave me time to receive treatment. My diagnosis came as a total shock and im grateful it came when there was still time. Dotill have cancer, but i not need treatment right now. I receive regular scans so that i will know in time if treatment becomes necessary again. I am grateful for the care i received and continue to receive from my doctors. The cost of my treatment, which included surgery to remove a kidney, a second surgery to remove part of a red replaced with a seven inch titanium titanium plate. Almost two years of cuttingedge scanstherapy and regular has been enormous. It would bankrupt almost every family in this country if they did not have Health Insurance. Not special or unique. Serious illness can hit anyone unexpectedly and it did. Dies, no one should have to worry about whether they can might save that their life. The Affordable Care act provides saps of mind for so many people over the years who found themselves in positions similar to mine. Their lives and health are whats at stake. Their lives are what is at stake with this nomination. Theoments like this where the health care of millions is on the line, i think back to the care so many of you showed me when i was diagnosed with cancer 3. 5 years ago. Including many of my republican colleagues on the committee, wrote heartfelt notes wishing me well and letting you know you are thinking of me. To this day come when the and ian of the committee find ourselves away from the camera sharing elevator, he never hesitates to asked me about my health. Mr. Chairman, you and i have had pointed disagreement over the years come particular during our time on this committee together. But that means a lot to me. Moments where we recognize our church in vanity are rare in congress these days but this should be one of those moments. Moment for you and republican colleagues, to show the American People terrified about losing their hair Care Health Care show the same compassion you continue to show me. Instead of rushing to jam another ideologicallydriven nominee onto the Supreme Court in the middle of the election went over 9 million americans already voted. Hearing, return and help build suffering help during this pandemic. I think everyone on the committee and everyone who knows you knows youre passionate about the causes. Encouraged toy hear you are doing well and will keep praying for you. I appreciate that. Thank you. Do the right thing. A loja. Thank you, mr. Chair, and judge barrett, thank you for being front of us today. Welcome to you and i am glad you have had your family join you today as well. Only 100 years ago, women in this country were given the right to vote. Today, we consider adding another woman to the highest court in the land. I cannot help but be so proud of women and whatr they have accomplished. Time i havefirst been a member of the Judiciary Committee during a Supreme Court nomination process. You probably know that like most americans, i am not a lawyer. I bring a slightly different onto the committee. One thing that is important to matters tong that islands, whether they are believeor not, i firmly in the roles of our Supreme Court, the defender of our constitution. At the end of the day, that is my test for a Supreme Court justice. Will you defend the constitution . It frustrates me and my fellow iowans that the Supreme Court has become a super legislature. To discuss these tough issues and do its job. What i hear from my colleagues on the left is about judicial activism and what they want to see in their nominees, which is that super legislature. Projecting that upon you, judge barrett. That is what they are projecting as they talk about what cases may or may not come in front of the Supreme Court. I think it was just the other day it was Vice President biden who told the American People they do not deserve to know whether he will pack the court. They do not know who his judicial nominees would be. I think we do need to know because again, it is what the left projected on you today, it is what they want to see in their nominees. Not what our founders intended the court to be. Be an the hearing would open conversation of how judge barrett would be as justice. I am concerned that not everyone who in who is involved in this hearing share the goal. Attacking your faith and your family. Instead of entering into the nomination process with an open mind and a desire to understand this woman who has been nominated to the highest court in the land, the focus is on a plan or strategy, a series of coerce,to undermine, and confuse the American People. A plan to undermine u. S. A family,undermine your and underline undermine what you hold dear. Women all over the world are painfully familiar with this strategy. We are all too often perceived and judged based on who somebody else needs or wants us to be. Not on who we actually are. I cannot speak to those who would attempt to undermine your nomination but as a fellow midwesterner, i see you for who you are and im glad the American People have the opportunity to get to know Amy Coney Barrett. Will be an opportunity to dig into your background to understand more about your judicial philosophy. T your political pump opponents want to paint you as is a tv or Cartoon Version of a religious radical, a socalled handmade that feeds into all of the ridiculous stereotypes they have set out to lambaste people of faith in america. And that is wrong. It might be less comical if this is the first time the left has trotted out this partisan playbook. Have made these types of religious attacks on every Supreme Court candidate nominated by a republican president in the modern era. They say they really mean it , we really mean it, this nominee is worse. Women theirg to accusations are, that you, a working mother of seven with a strong record of professional and academic accomplishment, could not possibly respect the goals and desires of todays women. That you, with a detailed record of service, lack of compassion. I know you to be compassionate. Your record says you are and it shows your demonstrated is defending the constitution. The great freedom of being an American Woman is we can decide how we can build our lives, whom to marry, and where we want to go. Ive served in the army, something not popular at various points in American History. We do not have to fit the narrow definition of womanhood. Path. Ate our own Justice Ginsburg is one such woman and i would like to pay. Ribute to her for what she did it is quite simple, what your opponents are doing. They are attacking you as a mom, and a woman of faith, because they cannot attack your qualifications. Every year, i travel to every single one of iowas counties and talk to women from all walks of life, whether they are farmers, nurses, Small Business owners, they want a government accountable to them. Makes a lot that oversteps the constitution, the ripples can be felt whether it is on farms in Montgomery County where i am from, and the manufacturing facilities. It can be felt in the Church Services of sioux city and Community Meetings in waterloo. The Supreme Court passes only job is to rule on the cases before it. And defend the constitution. Do that well, it Justice Needs to be thoughtful, restrained, and wise. Far, i havet, so seen all of those things in you. I am glad we have you in front of us. I look forward to learning more about you. I want to thank you and your family for being in this nomination today. What a mom canly do. Thank you very much. Thank you, mr. Chair. Booker thank you, mr. Chairman. A 49yearold father of twin boys and a football coach and professional at a high school in new jersey. For years, he put off going to the doctor because he was afraid he could not afford it. Act was Affordable Care passed, he finally got the coverage she could afford. Paid not feeling well, he the doctors appointment and was diagnosed with type two diabetes. It is a disease that affects over 10 of americans and disproportionately impacts black americans like him. Diagnosedikely to be with diabetes and twice as likely to die from it. Today, he takes insulin and other medications and his condition was thankfully improved but he said, obamacare made it so i was not afraid of the costs of going to the doctor. Insurance, whoe knows where i would be. But he is worried about what will happen if the Affordable Care act gets overturned. Said, now i have a preexisting condition. My insurance covers my medications, and if that is taken to a way for me, what will happen . I cannot afford those on my own. Michelle lost her husband, john, last year when he passed away suddenly at the age of 58. Michelle relied on Health Insurance through his job and when he died, their insurance went away. She was given the option to continue his plan but could not afford the cost of 800 per month. Michelle sign up her coverage on the insurance marketplace, where she qualified for what made it more affordable. She could manage her diabetes, heart disease, and an autoimmune disease because of her coverage. Also relies on insulin and other prescription medications. If the aca were overturned, michelle says, i could lose my house if i did not have a formal health care. I would have to sell my home. I do not want to lose my home. People like them are understandably sure scared right now. America herump told would end the aca. He promised explicitly that he would only nominate judges that would do the right thing and eliminate the Affordable Care act. No what ae them future without the aca looks like. Like 130 million americans with preexisting conditions, from cancer survivors to people with disabilities being charged more were denied coverage completely. It looks like 20 million americans losing access to potentially lifesaving care in the middle of a pandemic that has already killed over 214,000 americans. In new jersey, we have lost over 60,000 people will to covid19. Lutherds of people would lose their coverage were it not for the aca. If future without the aca looks like being forced to sell your house if you cannot afford your health care. It looks like not having access to a doctor when youre sick. It looks like having to choose between paying for groceries and paying for medicine. Anotherre scared for reason. They know what a future without the protections of roe v. Wade looks like because President Trump has explicitly stated he would only put up Supreme Court nominees that would overturn roe v. Wade. He said it clearly. We should believe him. People deny the ability to make decisions about their own bodies, the right to plan for their own future. Women of color, low income women, who cannot just pack up and leave if abortion is restricted or criminalized where they live. It looks like them being left with no options. It looks like state laws proliferating throughout our country, who seek to control and criminalize women. It looks like the government fearing making the most personal medical decisions. It looked like a country in which states may write laws look women with miscarriages to investigation to ensure they did not have abortions. In America Today, people are scared. You heard from my colleagues, we are getting calls to from my office where people are afraid. Many americ