Pelosi invites head of disability advocacy group to State of the Union

Elena Hung, president of the disability advocacy group Little Lobbyists, will attend Tuesday evening’s State of the Union address as a guest of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Hung confirmed on Twitter.

On our way to meet @SpeakerPelosi and attend the #StateOfTheUnion as her guest to help highlight the importance of health care for children with complex medical needs and disabilities.#ProtectOurCare#SOTU#StateOfHealthCare pic.twitter.com/WbTLljlJMl

— Elena Hung (@ElenaHung202) February 4, 2020

In addition to Hung and her daughter Xiomara, three other families associated with the group, which advocates for children with complex medical needs, will attend the address as guests of Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.).

We’re honored to have 4 families attending the #SOTU as guests of @SpeakerPelosi, @SenSchumer, @stabenow and @RepWexton who recognize the impact of our children’s lived experience with complex medical needs and disabilities. THREAD 1/7 pic.twitter.com/BVQHNZJACZ

— Little Lobbyists (@LittleLobbyists) February 4, 2020

The group is using its attendance at the address to push back against President Trump’s claims that he had preserved the Affordable Care Act’s protections for pre-existing conditions, contrasting it with the administration’s ongoing lawsuit against the law.

Stabenow released a video of her own with her guest Andrea Pietrowsky of Grosse Point, saying she was “desperately concerned” about the Trump administration’s health care policies.

Ahead of the #SOTU tonight, I recorded a video with my guest Andrea to discuss the #StateofHealthCare. WATCH: pic.twitter.com/Lxeo4swcUG

— Sen. Debbie Stabenow (@SenStabenow) February 4, 2020

Citing her daughter Louisa, who was born in 2014 with a rare cardiac condition, Pietrowsky noted that while her daughter is “thriving and enjoying her childhood,” she added “it does scare me to think what would happen if the ACA is repealed.”

“The bottom line is we want doctors and families making medical decisions,” added Stabenow. “We don’t want to go back to the bad old days where it was all about insurance companies trying to save money and not wanting to cover people.”