Date: 2012-03-26
Speaker: AUSTIN SCOTT (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Thank you very much. Mr. Speaker. as you know. this week. the United States Supreme Court began hearing testimony on the constitutionality of the Presidents health care law. a law that. according to a USA Today poll. 72 percent of Americans believe is unconstitutional. Mr. Speaker. the key question is: If the Federal Government can mandate its citizens buy health insurance. then what can they not mandate from Washington. D.C.. that the American citizens must buy? Mr. Speaker. the consequences of this mandate are severe. If the Supreme Court does not overturn it. what will the Federal Government allow themselves to mandate next? Life insurance? Just one word difference. health insurance versus life insurance. Bank accounts? A red car instead of a blue one? Organic apples instead of grapes? President Obama has put America on a very steep and slippery slope. and House Republicans are here to stop him. During his takeover of onesixth of the economyand thats what its about. Mr. Speaker. its about the fact that this is onesixth of the economyPresident Obama stated that if you liked your plan. you can keep it. It was a promise. a pledge he made to the American citizens. However. Americans soon found out. as we know today. exactly what he meant. Under President Obamas health care law. you technically have a choice: You can keep your current plan as he promised. the health insurance plan that you chose. And yes. as long as the President. by his commission of unelected bureaucrats. approves your purchase. then you can keep the plan without paying a penalty. However. if his bureaucrats dont approve your plan. youll pay a penalty. Mr. Speaker. the American people know thats not a choice. Two years after this bill was signed into law. our worst suspicions are now being confirmed. Thanks to President Obama and the Democrats who used their control of Congress. Americans will have higher costs and a reduced level of care. The nonpartisan CBO estimates that nonemployersponsored health insurance premiums will be 13 percent higher than if this legislation had not been signed into law. Mr. Speaker. Over 90 percent of seniors will lose their retiree prescription drug coverage they currently enjoy. and also be hit with doubledigit premium increases. The CBO has also noted that the health care law "may" hinder job creation. Now. Mr. Speaker. I believe theres no doubt this bill kills jobs. In fact. when you get right down to it. a small business owner who has more than 50 employees is actually going to be encouraged to terminate the number of employees that they have above 50. Otherwise. they will be penalized if they do not comply with the law. Now. think about that. Mr. Speaker: Not only does this law hinder job creation. but it forces employers to get to under the 50employee threshold so that they will not have to deal with the jobkilling bureaucracy that this bill forces upon them. Since coming to Congress last January. the House Republican Conference has voted to repeal not only this health care bill in its entirety but the 1099 provision. which the President agreed with us on. the CLASS Act. which the President agreed with us on. and. most recently. the IPAB rules. Its time for the Senate and President Obama to wake up and realize what the majority of Americans already know: The Not So Affordable Care Act is simply bad economic policy. bad health care policy. and a violation of our constitutional rights as American citizens.