Democrats seeking a majority in Congress are spending the precious few days before the election focusing on their commitment to protecting Americans' healthcare coverage, Reuters reports.
Here are five things to know:
1. Many Democrats running in U.S. House elections argue that the Republican majority in Congress will result in a loss of healthcare coverage for Americans with pre-existing conditions and other protections afforded by the ACA. Earlier this year, a Republican effort to repeal and replace the ACA failed by a 51-49 vote.
2. The rhetoric also extends to Democrats running in key gubernatorial and Senate races, including in states where Republican candidate President Donald Trump won by a double-digit majority in 2016. Among those include the Missouri Senate race between Democratic incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill and her Republican challenger, state Attorney General Josh Hawley.
3. While Democrats are favored to flip the 23 seats they need to obtain a majority in the House, it is unclear whether they will be able to pick up the two seats necessary to assume a majority in the Senate, Reuters reports.
4. The focus on healthcare represents a shift in strategy for the Democratic party, which shied away from defending the ACA in previous election years as the law was unpopular with many voters. Recent polls suggest slightly more than half (58 percent) of voters are in favor of keeping the ACA.
5. Republican candidates, backed by President Trump, argue they are committed to maintaining key ACA protections. Democratic challengers say this is hypocritical and argue motions to repeal and replace the ACA would have sent insurance premiums skyrocketing for those with pre-existing conditions, the report states.
To access the full report, click here.