Sen. Kamala Harris said at Wednesday's vice presidential debate that the Trump administration does not have a plan to protect health coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, looking into the camera and declaring: "If you have a pre-existing condition — heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer — they're coming for you.
Why it matters: The Biden campaign has consistently sought to make the Trump administration-backed lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act — which protects coverage for pre-existing conditions — a core election message, particularly as the U.S. continues to struggle to control the pandemic. Health care has been proven to be one of the issues that resonates most with voters.
What she's saying: "If you have a pre-existing condition — heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer — they're coming for you. If you love someone who has a pre-existing condition, they're coming for you. If you're under the age of 26 on your parents' coverage, they're coming for you."
- Vice President Pence responded that the administration does have a plan for people with pre-existing conditions, but did not specify what it is.
- Worth noting: While unveiling his vision for health care in his second term, President Trump last month signed an executive order that he claimed will protect coverage for people with pre-existing conditions. But executive orders do not have the weight of legislation.
Go deeper: Trump's pre-existing conditions executive order is empty