[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 92 (Monday, June 18, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1063]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 18, 2012

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, millions of 
Americans are anxiously awaiting the Supreme Court's ruling on the 
constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. Many of these individuals 
await this decision in fear, as they stand to lose their sense of 
security if the law is struck down. Since the Affordable Care Act was 
signed into law on March 23, 2010, millions of Americans have already 
benefited from its sweeping reforms, and millions more stand to benefit 
once the law is fully implemented in 2014. Texas has the highest 
percentage of adults without health insurance, and striking down the 
Affordable Care Act will only worsen this predicament for Texans.
  If the Supreme Court strikes down the Affordable Care Act, there will 
be no winners. The Affordable Care Act forces insurance companies to 
play by the rules, giving Americans greater control over their own 
health care. Under the health care law, insurance companies are 
required to publicly justify their actions if they chose to raise rates 
by 10 percent or more, and can no longer impose lifetime dollar limits 
on health benefits. In a major show of support, several insurance 
companies, including UnitedHealthcare and Aetna, have even pledged to 
preserve certain provisions of the health care law no matter what the 
Supreme Court decides.
  A repeal of the Affordable Care Act would further exacerbate health 
disparities between minorities and non-minorities. Minorities suffer 
disproportionately from serious illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, and 
HIV/AIDS. Historically, minorities have faced considerable barriers to 
accessing affordable health insurance, and these barriers have 
contributed to significant health disparities. Under the Affordable 
Care Act, an estimated 3.8 million African Americans and roughly 5.4 
million Latinos who would otherwise be uninsured will gain coverage by 
2016. If the Affordable Care Act is struck down, millions of minorities 
will be forced to seek primary care in our Nation's overcrowded 
emergency rooms, and the costs of care will be shifted to taxpayers.
  Mr. Speaker, while the Republicans have introduced numerous measures 
to undermine and repeal the Affordable Care Act, they have not yet 
offered one piece of legislation which would reduce health care costs 
for young adults and seniors or address the growing health disparities 
between minorities and non-minorities. As we await this monumental 
court decision, I, along with my Democratic colleagues, will continue 
to advocate for access to affordable, quality health care for all 
Americans.

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