Espy stated that the reason for his raspy voice was a pre-existing condition. Although Espy stressed that his pre-existing condition was not life-threatening, he said that it is costly to treat and that he has been fighting with his insurance company about the matter. After the event, he stated that he felt empathy for people with health issues. “I’ve seen reports that one-third of Mississippians have preexisting conditions… This is not a Democratic issue. It’s not a Republican issue. It is a health problem.” Espy stated that the issue of health care affects all Mississippians, regardless of their race or gender. Cindy Hyde Smith, the interim U.S. Senator, who Espy hopes to lose on Nov. 27, said Wednesday that she will co-sponsor legislation with Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) to protect those with pre-existing conditions. Hyde-Smith stated in a prepared statement that “everyone knows that penalizing people because they have pre-existing condition is unfair.” She added, “I don’t know many people who don’t have pre-existing condition.” This legislation highlights the fact that, regardless of how the Republican-led Obamacare replacement program is written, Mississippians with preexisting conditions will be covered.” The bill, called Ensuring Coverage For Patients With Pre-Existing Conditions Act (or Ensuring Coverage for Patients With Pre-Existing Conditions Act), was actually introduced by Tillis on August 23. U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, Tupelo Republican signed on as co-sponsor. Since then, 15 senators signed on as cosponsors. According to information on the congressional website, Hyde-Smith was last senator to sign up as a cosponsor on Tuesday. Pre-existing conditions are covered by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare). Hyde-Smith, who has stated her support for 100 percent of President Donald Trump’s administration, has joined a lawsuit to end pre-existing condition protection. Hyde-Smith stated that her bill would continue to protect pre-existing conditions no matter what the outcome of the lawsuit. She stated that she was committed to finding a solution to ensure that any future legislation to repeal or replace Obamacare protects Mississippians with preexisting conditions. This would include expanding options and lowering the cost of health care for Mississippi families. After appearing at the Working Together Jackson event Wednesday, Espy stated that Hyde-Smith was trying to mislead voters about her position on pre-existing condition. Espy stated that her legislation would protect people with pre-existing conditions, but not necessarily those who have them. Danny Blanton, communications director of the Espy campaign, said that this bill was a sad attempt to cover up the lies Cindy Hyde Smith told Mississippi voters last month. Espy also pointed out that Hyde Smith voted against a bill which would have required insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions, even though they were exempted from certain federal regulations. Chris Gallegos, her spokesperson at the time, stated that her vote was against a bill that would have required insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions even if they were exempt from some federal regulations. Hyde-Smith voted for Mississippians to have access to short-term insurance plans. She voted against the Democrats’ resolution which would have eliminated short-term policies options that were restored by Trump. Espy believes Mississippians should have more options for health insurance. He also says that all of those options should cover pre-existing conditions. Espy stated that five years ago, he contracted a virus. He thought it was a common cold. He woke up one morning to find his voice had stopped. Espy struggled to diagnose the cause. A friend of his, an instructor at Buffalo University, New York provided him with the diagnosis. The virus caused damage to a nerve in his vocal chords. To address the problem, he travels to Nashville to receive shots on a regular basis. His campaign schedule and shots are done in cycles. This causes his voice to sound hoarse, raspy, and depending on the cycle, stronger or weaker. He said, “I will be strong voice, and not weak voice for Mississippi in Senate.” Follow Mississippi Today for all coverage of the historic runoff between Cindy Hyde Smith and Mike Espy.