St. Joseph County Democrats fight for healthcare

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — St. Joseph Democrats say there’s more at stake in November’s midterm than just two seats in the Capitol.

The party claims your healthcare could be at risk as well.

“It’s my life on the line,” said South Bend native Jennifer Faulkner-Jones. “I am educated, I am a hard worker, I contribute to society and I need to have access.”

Local Democrats are putting a face to the national debate on healthcare.

Jones is one of many Hoosiers with a pre-existing condition.

She shared her story at a press conference the party held on Monday.

Stories like hers are the reason why the party says it’s fighting to put its own in the House and Senate.

“That was one story, that you heard today, one story out of 1.1 million people here in Indiana,” said Jason Critchlow, the chairman of the St. Joseph County Democratic Party. “And I think it’s a concern for anybody who knows any of those 1.1 million people.”

Critchlow and other Democrats called out Republicans for dismantling the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

They also took aim at Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill for joining a 20-state lawsuit, aimed at overturning the ACA and Republican U.S. Senate nominee Mike Braun for his support of Hill’s decision.

“Career politicians like Joe Donnelly talk about healthcare, but all we get are rising premiums and less options - in his own business, Mike Braun took on the insurance companies and provided affordable healthcare, held premiums flat for 10 years, and covered pre-existing conditions before it was cool,” said Josh Kelley, a spokesman for Braun’s camp responded in a statement to ABC 57 News

That’s also the message of Braun’s new TV ad his team rolled out this month.

It touts his support of protecting folks with pre-existing conditions, but Democrats are calling him out for contradicting his campaign platform which calls for every regulation to be replaced.

“This is just people’s ability to get coverage, the healthcare they need and no I don’t think there’s anybody that believes Mike Braun’s sudden change of heart,” said Critchlow.