Our next Democratic President will have to fight to preserve ACA.

The Republican-controlled House of Representatives voted almost half a gross of times to repeal the ACA since it went into effect. Does anyone think they'll stop doing that? They'll still have a strong majority after the 2016 election. We may regain a small majority in the Senate, but that will not stop the House from attempting to defund, repeal or otherwise stop the gains we've made in getting the uninsurable insured.

Like all thinking progressives, I want universal, single-payer healthcare. Until we have it, which will not happen until we have supermajorities in both houses of Congress, I want to at least maintain the protections ACA gives us for people with existing conditions, along with the subsidies that help lower-income Americans pay for their health insurance.

With half of Congress trying as hard as they can to dump the ACA, I'm far more concerned with keeping it in effect until we can get those supermajorities. It needs to be defended and defended strongly. There isn't going to be a single-payer healthcare bill introduced in Congress until we manage to get those supermajorities. It's not going to happen.

I want someone as President who promises to defend the ACA and broaden its accessibility until we finally have universal, tax-supported, single payer healthcare. I want someone who sees what's real and what's possible. Once Democrats have control of Congress AND the White House, we can pass single payer. Until then, we need to defend what gains we have obtained.

We need someone who will promise to derail any further attempts to repeal ACA. We need someone who will successfully defend it until we can pass something better.