Issue Position: Health Care

Issue Position

Everyone in Delaware has a story to tell about health care and the longstanding need to fix our nation's health care system.

The parent with a child that went without medicine when they were sick, the person with diabetes who lost coverage when they changed jobs, the new college graduate who is struggling to find their first job and hopes they don't get sick in the meantime.

Chris Coons believes that good health is the foundation of economic prosperity. Crippling health care costs have robbed American families and have hurt our nation's competitiveness. While not believing it to be perfect, Chris supports President Obama's landmark health care legislation and is committed to working across the aisle to make it better. The new law will provide health insurance to the more than 29,000 Delawareans who lack insurance, and it will lower health insurance costs for average Americans, give small businesses the ability to pay to cover their employees, and reduce the federal deficit in the process.

Delawareans want government leaders who will take on our biggest problems and put workable solutions ahead of continuing political battles. While the measure adopted represents a momentous step forward, it is not perfect. As our Senator, Chris will work to improve the system to ensure accessibility and affordability for all Americans and for the businesses where they work.

Chris supports efforts to improve pre-natal care for all women to give babies a healthy start in life. Chris believes that decisions about a woman's health, including issues surrounding pregnancy, should be left to her and her doctor. Abortion should remain safe, legal, and rare for women regardless of their financial means. He has received a 100% pro-choice rating from NARAL.

Chris strongly believes in balancing innovation with consumer protection, which is not possible without better support for the Food and Drug Administration. With each passing week, the FDA falls further behind in reviewing and making decisions about life-saving drug treatments that are based on our ever-expanding understanding of biology, genetics, and pharmacology. Chris supports efforts to expand staffing at the FDA in order to improve review times while continuing to ensure patient safety.

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