The Affordable Care Act

Floor Speech

Madam Speaker, millions of Americans are now experiencing firsthand the failures of a massive undertaking to roll out the Affordable Care Act. While well-intentioned, our colleagues who had a Democrat supermajority in the White House, the Senate, and this House pushed through a partisan bill ignoring warnings of those like myself who have worked in the health care field for decades.

Prior to being elected to Congress, I spent nearly three decades in a nonprofit health care setting, serving my neighbors who were facing life-changing disease and disability. When it was time to weigh in on public policy, Members like me were muzzled. We were told to pass a bill to see what was in it. Well, that is exactly what happened, despite our continued dissent.

Phones are ringing off the hooks in Members' offices. Constituents who have lost their health insurance policies and experienced unaffordable premium hikes are angry. They were made a promise by the President that they could keep their health plans. Now, reportedly, more than 5 million individuals have lost their policies. Undoubtedly, this is just the beginning of Americans not being able to keep the insurance that they like.

One of my constituents, Sam, from Erie County, Pennsylvania, has been affected. He has been on the same policy that has provided him with adequate coverage, exactly what he was looking for, for years. He no longer has access to that coverage.

Or Lisa and her husband, both self-employed and hailing from Punxsutawney in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania. They have five children--two in college, one in high school, and two working. After receiving notice that their effective and affordable health insurance policy was canceled, they have now been saddled with cost increases of over $20,000 a year.

How about John from Clearfield County, who emailed my congressional office this week after being informed by his insurer that, due to changes under the Affordable Care Act, his policy is now canceled. He owns a small business that no longer qualifies for the group plan under the law's requirements.

Then there is Sonya from northeast Pennsylvania, right on the shores of Lake Erie. She has had the same policy for the last 4 years, and it is being canceled. She stated that it is unfair she should have to buy more expensive insurance; not to mention, she says, it will cost much more over the long run when you factor in her new deductible.

Madam Speaker, this is an outrage. These are just several of countless examples--I want to say "endless examples''--of real harm being experienced by hardworking Americans, my constituents, as a result of this flawed law.

Madam Speaker, the time I have been granted on this floor is not sufficient for me to share the growing number of voices from the Fifth District of Pennsylvania who are having their policies canceled and being forced to buy insurance that they can't afford, that they don't want and they don't need.

Those at the White House that masterminded this catastrophic attack on insurance affordability and choice released their preliminary numbers for winners and losers yesterday. Nationwide, roughly 100,000 have obtained insurance policies through the national and State exchanges combined. Many of these individuals, unfortunately, are now experiencing the sticker shock of significant costs when premiums and deductible expenses are combined and considered. The sad part is that these are the winners. That is just how bad this health care law is. Americans deserve access to health insurance that they choose and can afford.

Madam Speaker, a large block of Members in this body are standing up and putting forward solutions to these failures, including some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle.

Senator Mary Landrieu, a Democrat from Louisiana, recently announced she would propose legislation to ensure all Americans could keep their existing insurance coverage under ObamaCare. But "it's not just red-State Democrats,'' as Politico reports today. Senator Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat from California, yesterday announced she would support the bipartisan effort to allow Americans to keep the plans they know and like.

Unfortunately, Madam Speaker, these proposals that are being put forward by my Democratic colleagues mean that we would have to change the law. Unfortunately, Senate Leader Reid doesn't like the optics of having this debate on its merits, even if it would help Americans keep the insurance they know and like, as the President repeatedly promised.

I want to thank the growing number of my colleagues for doing what is right and placing good policy before politics. This law is flawed. It is sinking by its own weight. Now we must act to fix its fatal flaws. If we don't, those who want to protect the political reputation of the White House will allow it to continue, no matter how much harm is caused upon the American people.

Madam Speaker, the American people deserve better.

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