[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.
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