WASHINGTON — In a matter of days after her swearing-in, new Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett and her colleagues will be hearing oral arguments in "California v. Texas," challenging the landmark Affordable Care Act.
President Donald Trump has said, as recently as in last week's debate, that the law "is no good." Then, on CBS's 60 Minutes, he called it "a disaster."
If the new 6-3 conservative majority in the high court invalidates the ACA, it's estimated that 21 million Americans would lose health coverage and up to 133 million people with pre-existing conditions would lose protections currently preventing insurers from denying coverage.
Virginia Senator Tim Kaine says he's "really worried about it."
"If they kill it, look, it's going to affect millions and millions of Americans, tens of millions, and millions of Virginians," Kaine said.
Democrat Kaine, who voted 'no' on Barrett's confirmation said even if the Supreme Court were to invalidate the ACA, he believes there could be a legislative remedy, but only if his party prevails on Election Day.
"I think about what the Supreme Court can do," Kaine remarked. "There's little that they can do that a Congress that wants to provide healthy care coverage couldn't figure out how to fix. And so that, I think, just makes the House and Senate elections even more important. I just hope we have a House and Senate that wants to expand coverage to more people with more affordable options than a Congress that's determined to take health care away from people."