NEWS FROM THE FLORIDA DEMOCRATIC PARTY
For Immediate Release: March 23, 2011 Contact: Eric Jotkoff, (850) 222-3411
Florida Democratic Party Chairman Smith’s Statement on the One-Year Anniversary of the Affordable Care Act
Today marks the one-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, signed into law by President Obama on March 23rd, 2010.  In recognition of that occasion, Florida Democratic Party Chairman Rod Smith issued the following statement:
“One year ago today, President Obama signed the historic Affordable Care Act into law. In the 12 months since the Affordable Care Act was enacted, many new patient protections and benefits have already taken effect – insurance companies can no longer deny coverage to children with pre-existing conditions or take away individuals’ health coverage when they need it most; all new health plans must offer free preventive care that will help Americans to stay healthy; and young people can stay on their parents’ insurance until age 26, while they look for a job or finish school. Those provisions will save Floridians’ lives, save the Sunshine State money, and give the people of Florida more control over their health care.
“However, despite the clear benefits of this law for the people of Florida, Republicans in Congress continue to challenge health care reform in Congress and in the courts. Repealing or even defunding the Affordable Care Act would put the many benefits of health reform at risk and add over a trillion dollars to the national deficit. 
“It is critical that we continue to protect the Affordable Care Act and prevent Republicans from rolling back new health care benefits for Floridians. I applaud President Obama and Democrats in Congress for their leadership in making tough choices to improve America’s health care system and I look forward to celebrating the passage of this historic law far into the future.”
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