America is threatened with the loss of pre-existing condition protections in two ways. A Texas lawsuit and the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court jeopardize those popular consumer protections.

The Affordable Care Act forbids insurance companies from denying or charging more for covering people who have pre-existing conditions. In Texas v. U.S., the Trump administration has decided not to defend the ACA, including protections for people with pre-existing conditions. By nominating Kavanaugh, who wrote presidents don’t have to uphold laws they “deem” unconstitutional, President Trump has nominated someone who will agree with him on matters related to the ACA.

If protections for people with pre-existing conditions disappear, 9 million Americans who experience medical harm or errors yearly, according to the Altarum Institute, would not be able to get care for medical mistakes. Since being a victim of domestic violence was considered a pre-existing condition before the ACA, I assume being a victim of medical errors would be also.

That goes against the foundation America was built upon, stated in the first words of the Constitution: “to establish justice …, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our” families.

While the president’s decision not to defend the ACA and its consumer protections in the Texas lawsuit is out of our hands, I would remind Sen. Susan Collins that she has the responsibility to safeguard the general welfare of Americans by voting against the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation.

Mary Schneckenburger, Litchfield

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