Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost (R), who filed a brief opposing a lawsuit that aims to strike down the Affordable Care Act, said in an interview that aired Thursday on “Rising” that his main priority is to protect state residents, not the Republican Party.
“My oath of office was to protect the people of Ohio, not the Republicans,” Yost told Hill.TV host Jamal Simmons on Wednesday. “While the Republican Party is the area that I feel the most commonality with on a lot of policy issues, my job is to work for everybody in the state.”
Yost this week broke with fellow Republicans, including Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, when he said he filed an amicus brief against a lawsuit seeking to nullify the Affordable Care Act, also known as ObamaCare.
He filed the brief in an effort to protect parts of the 2010 law, like protections for those with pre-existing conditions.
DeWine and President Trump are backing a Texas lawsuit that aims to declare the entire Affordable Care Act unconstitutional.
Trump’s focus has recently shifted back to repealing former President Obama’s signature health care law.
He said last month that the Republican Party “will soon be known as the party of health care,” but has since said the GOP will focus on repealing Obama’s health care law after the 2020 presidential election.
— Julia Manchester
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