Date: 2016-02-02
Speaker: TOM PRICE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I think it is important to appreciate the numbers of individuals who are supporting our work on this issue. the folks who support repealing this legislation: Associated Builders and Contractors. Christian Coalition of America. Concerned Women of America. the Family Research Council. FreedomWorks. National Right to Life. American Center for Law and Justice. American Commitment. American Conservative Union. American Principles Project. Americans for Prosperity. Americans for Tax Reform. Americans United for Life. Conservative Women for America. Focus on the Family. Heritage Action for America. Independent Womens Voice. Liberty Counsel Action. March for Life. the National Center for Policy Analysis. National Institute of Family and Life Advocates. National Taxpayers Union. Population Research Institute. Priests for Life. Students for Life. Susan B. Anthony. The Justice Foundation. Tradition. Family. Property. Incorporated. and Traditional Values Coalition. Mr. Speaker. the majority of the American people oppose the law in place. As I close. the remarks that we make today. this is the time to try to set the record straight. We have heard from our friends on the other side what the Congressional Budget Office says. I will tell you what the Congressional Budget Office says about jobs. It says that this law will decrease the equivalent of over 2 million jobs in this Nation. Over 2 million jobs in this Nation lost because of this law. Our friends talk about the CBO saying that 22 million individuals are going to lose their insurance. That is because CBO scores things in a way that doesnt recognize the other action that will occur. which is why we have in this bill a transition period to phase in to patientcentered health care. again. health care where patients and families and doctors are making decisions. not Washington. D.C. We have a government of. by. and for the people. and we take that very. very seriously. When the President is standing in the way of the desires and the wishes of the American people as it relates to something as personal as health care. our responsibility is to stand up for the American people. and that is precisely what we are doing today. As it relates to womens health care. our bill actually would increase spendingincrease spendingon womens health care across this great land and allow greater opportunity for access to community health centers by women to receive the kind of health care that they need. Our friends on the other side talk about premiums going up only a little bit more than they had been in the past. Mr. Speaker. what that ignores is that the President of the United States promisedpromisedthe American people that premiums would go down on average $2500 for a family of four. In fact. what they have done is gone up by nearly $3.000 for a family of four. Mr. Speaker. that is not comparing it to anything else. That is comparing it to what the President promised the American people. and the American people expect their Representatives and the President to keep their promises. Deductibles have gone up incredibly. Our friends on the other side dont talk about that because what that means is that folks have health coverage out there. but they dont have health care. If you are a family of four. if you are an individual out there making $40.000. $50.000. $60.000 a year. and your deductible is $10.000 a year or $12.000 a year. which is not unusual given this law. Mr. Speaker. you may have health coverage. but you dont have any health care. As a formerly practicing physician. I can tell you I hear from my colleagues all the time about folks across this land who are making decisions. financial decisions because of this law. denying themselves and their family the ability to care for themselves and their family because of this law. Mr. Speaker. the fact of the matter is. we believe that the principles of health care that we all hold dear ought to be adhered to. We believe in a system that ought to be accessible for folkseverybody. We believe in a system that ought to be affordable for everybody. that is of the highest quality. and that expands choices for the American people. The American people ought to be the ones who are deciding who is taking care of them when and where and the like. Mr. Speaker. the fact of the matter is that this law violates every one of those principles. Accessibility is going down across this great land. Affordability is going down. Costs are going up. Quality is decreasing. All you have to do is talk to the men and women who are charged with caring for the American people. Choices have been destroyed in our health care system. The principles that the American people hold dear. regardless of their political stripe. have been violated by this law. That is why we are standing here today. standing up and representing the American people. standing up on behalf of the American people and demonstrating once again that the only thing that stands in the way of what the American people want and what is occurring right now is that the President of the United States refusesrefusesto follow the will of the people. I urge a vote in favor of this veto override. We can get on then with the hard work of making certain that we move in the direction of patientcentered health care where patients and families and doctors are making medical decisions and not Washington. D.C.