WASHINGTON, D.C. – At a press conference in the U.S. Capitol today, U.S. Senator Angus King, along with Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), continued their effort to highlight the positive impacts the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is having on millions of Americans throughout the country.

Senator King spoke about his personal battle with cancer and emphasized the Affordable Care Act’s goal to provide higher-quality health insurance to more Americans who were previously without insurance.

“The simple truth is that health insurance saves lives. I know this from personal experience. Forty years ago, I was diagnosed with a rare and deadly form of malignant melanoma, but thankfully, my doctor caught it early. I truly believe that if I hadn’t had a job that provided me with health insurance, I would not be here today. The fact is, there are millions of Americans who haven’t been as fortunate as me,” said Senator King. “About 45,000 people die every year from a lack of health insurance – many of whom are cancer patients. I find that completely unacceptable for a country as wealthy and advanced as ours, and for the life of me I can’t understand why saving lives has become a partisan issue. Although it’s not perfect, the ACA is already having a tremendously positive impact on countless people across the country.”

Today, approximately 129 million Americans are no longer denied health insurance or charged more because of a pre-existing condition. In addition, if someone is diagnosed with a serious illness like cancer, an insurance company cannot drop him or her from an insurance plan. According to a Harvard Study from the American Journal of Public Health, approximately 45,000 people die each year due to a lack of health insurance.

You can watch Senator King’s complete remarks below. A broadcast quality version is available for download here.