Date: 2011-04-13
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Chair. I know sometimes in the rush of legislating. many Members are faced with any number of challenges in understanding legislation. but I do know that the majority has come with their own roadmap. And I do want to respect the different viewpoints. and I dont say this in any way to malign. First of all. Im grateful that this amendment was made in order. but I wish it wasnt because I understand that all legislation that passes needs to have in factor often has those who agree with it and those who do not. And thats fair enough. And the process that we usually use to handle that is to amend. not repeal. There are some sections here that I have looked at and have concern with. And many have heard me on the floor of the House discussing a number of issues regarding my local hospitals. But I will say to you that the repeal of this bill is putting us on the road to ruin. And my amendment is simple. It asks the HHS to place on its Web site the moneys rescinded so that the American people can see. For some it may be to see the great success of taking away money. For others. it may be to see what has happened to the resources that they need to take care of themselves. Very quickly. this amendment requires for fiscal years 2010. 2011. 2012. 2013. 2014 to list the amount of money that is being taken away from good health care. But. Madam Chair. it will also hopefully point people to what theyre losing. For example. look at this beautiful baby here. We will not have. under the repeal of this Affordable Care Act. the bounty of preventative care. For those with chronic diseases. Americans who are subject to chronic disease such as heart disease. cancer. stroke and diabetes. their only care will be the emergency room. highpriced emergency room when theyre in a diabetic coma or theyre in a stroke or they have a heart attack. rather than be able to go to their doctors. But we start early on with this little baby being able to go to wellness clinics or to their community health clinics. Thats what the money that is being rescinded is going to do to you. In addition. you will find that chronic diseases resulted in $75.3 billion loss in productivity in the State of Texas alone. This is going to be across America. The rescissions will also impact all of the States. I have a list of almost 50 States that have begun to receive dollars from the Affordable Care Actfrom Alabama. to Alaska. to Pennsylvania. to Massachusetts. to Michigan. to Rhode Island. and South Carolina. and Tennessee. and Texas. All of the States that my good friends come from. they are receiving money right now. In addition to this issue of taking away money. Prevention for Healthy America concluded that investing $10 per person per year in proven communitybased programs that increased physical activity. for example. improved nutrition. and prevents smoking and other tobacco could save the country more than $16 billion annually within 5 years. When you see how much money was taken away. just realize that you multiply that. If its a total of $16 billion. youre going to lose $16 billion a year because there will not be any wellness program. Community and clinical prevention. which is about $2 million. And so you will take away money from HIV prevention. and that is a very costly proposal. Youll take away from public health infrastructure. youll take away from primary care residential expansion programs training residents and doctors. Youll take away from other medical assistance programs. expansion of physician assistant training. Youll take away from public health departments where they link people to needed health care. Youll take away childhood and adult immunizations and protecting the water we drink and the food we eat. Let me just say to you that my amendment is to shine the light on what will be happening to the health care of Americans. I want my colleagues to tell their constituents. not those that are already focused on negative aspects of what were trying to do here. but those who are just simply hardworking mothers and fathers who are trying to make a living and who need this health care. Madam Chair. I would first like to state my clear position that I am adamantly opposed to H.R. 1217 and its repeal of the important Prevention and Public Health Fund created under the Affordable Care Act. The Fund saves lives and saves money. If H.R. 1217 to repeal the Prevention and Public Health Fund provided under section 4002 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is enacted into law: What my amendment does is: Requires the Department of Health and Human Services to post public notice on its official website of the Unobligated Funds from section 4002 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act including the amount of the funds that will be rescinded. This amendment will provide the public with important information about Preventive Health Care funding that will no longer be available for them to receive necessary preventive health care services. This amendment also assists my Republican colleagues by permitting them to easily show the American public that they are cutting government spending. by how much they are cutting spending. and where they are cutting government spending. So I expect that my Republican colleagues will fully support this amendment.