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[House Document 114-91]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

114th Congress, 2d Session - - - - - - - - - - House Document 114-91
 
                       VETO MESSAGE ON H.R. 3762

                               __________

                                MESSAGE

                                  from

                     THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                              transmitting

               NOTIFICATION OF THE VETO OF H.R. 3762, THE
                         ``RECONCILIATION ACT''

[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                January 8, 2016.--Ordered to be printed

                                   ______

                         U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 

59-011                         WASHINGTON : 2016 

To the House of Representatives:
    I am returning herewith without my approval H.R. 3762, 
which provides for reconciliation pursuant to section 2002 of 
the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2016, 
herein referred to as the Reconciliation Act. This legislation 
would not only repeal parts of the Affordable Care Act, but 
would reverse the significant progress we have made in 
improving health care in America. The Affordable Care Act 
includes a set of fairer rules and stronger consumer 
protections that have made health care coverage more 
affordable, more attainable, and more patient centered. And it 
is working. About 17.6 million Americans have gained health 
care coverage as the law's coverage provisions have taken 
effect. The Nation's uninsured rate now stands at its lowest 
level ever, and demand for Marketplace coverage during December 
2015 was at an all-time high. Health care costs are lower than 
expected when the law was passed, and health care quality is 
higher--with improvements in patient safety saving an estimated 
87,000 lives. Health care has changed for the better, setting 
this country on a smarter, stronger course.
    The Reconciliation Act would reverse that course. The 
Congressional Budget Office estimates that the legislation 
would increase the number of uninsured Americans by 22 million 
after 2017. The Council of Economic Advisers estimates that 
this reduction in health care coverage could mean, each year, 
more than 900,000 fewer people getting all their needed care, 
more than 1.2 million additional people having trouble paying 
other bills due to higher medical costs, and potentially more 
than 10,000 additional deaths. This legislation would cost 
millions of hard-working middle-class families the security of 
affordable health coverage they deserve. Reliable health care 
coverage would no longer be a right for everyone: it would 
return to being a privilege for a few.
    The legislation's implications extend far beyond those who 
would become uninsured. For example, about 150 million 
Americans with employer-based insurance would be at risk of 
higher premiums and lower wages. And it would cause the cost of 
health coverage for people buying it on their own to skyrocket.
    The Reconciliation Act would also effectively defund 
Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood uses both Federal and 
non-federal funds to provide a range of important preventive 
care and health services, including health screenings, 
vaccinations, and check-ups to millions of men and women who 
visit their health centers annually. Longstanding Federal 
policy already prohibits the use of Federal funds for 
abortions, except in cases of rape or incest or when the life 
of the woman would be endangered. By eliminating Federal 
Medicaid funding for a major provider of health care, H.R. 3762 
would limit access to health care for men, women, and families 
across the Nation, and would disproportionately impact low-
income individuals.
    Republicans in the Congress have attempted to repeal or 
undermine the Affordable Care Act over 50 times. Rather than 
refighting old political battles by once again voting to repeal 
basic protections that provide security for the middle class, 
Members of Congress should be working together to grow the 
economy, strengthen middle-class families, and create new jobs. 
Because of the harm this bill would cause to the health and 
financial security of millions of Americans, it has earned my 
veto.

                                                      Barack Obama.
    The White House, January 8, 2016.

                                  [all]
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