Wisconsin lawmakers, officials respond to ACA in court

Wisconsin lawmakers of both parties share one commonality when asked about the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the lawsuit seeking to overturn it, in appeals court Tuesday. Democratic senator Tammy Baldwin, Republican senator Ron Johnson, and Republican representative Sean Duffy all echoed their desire to make sure constituents retain access to affordable health care coverage, but getting there can look a bit different.

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, who withdrew Wisconsin from the lawsuit, said overturning Obamacare could destabilize the entire health system nationwide.

"The ACA has now been in place for years, and the health industry has adjusted to the ACA," he said, adding that undoing it after the system had adjusted would create instability that wasn't there before.

"President Trump has spent the last two years plus, sabotaging our health care system," Baldwin said, sharing stories of people impacted by the ACA. "These constituents are frightened."

“The Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate was a bad policy experiment that fell short of its goals," Duffy said in a statement to NewsChannel 7 on Tuesday. "Republicans should be the party of healthcare and we should come together on a workable proposal to replace Obamacare. I will continue to monitor how this plays out in the courts, while also fighting to ensure my constituents have access to the highest quality, affordable healthcare.”

Johnson had no specific comment on the lawsuit today, but a spokesperson told NewsChannel 7 he consistently supports maintaining access to affordable coverage for people with pre-existing conditions.