[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 69 (Thursday, May 16, 2013)]
[House]
[Page H2662]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          AFFORDABLE CARE ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Jeffries) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, later on this afternoon, the House will 
vote for the 37th time to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
  The Speaker of the House of Representatives has already been on 
record saying that the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land. So 
it's just not clear to me why we are wasting the time and the treasure 
of the American people on another futile legislative fantasy.
  In fact, it's a legislative fantasy that has cost the American people 
more than $50 million. If, in fact, the Affordable Care Act were to be 
repealed, it would do even more damage, as independent economists have 
estimated that a repeal would add to the Federal deficit by more than 
$100 billion.
  It's often been said that the classic definition of ``insanity'' is 
doing the same thing over and over and over again but somehow expecting 
a different result.
  Barack Obama was elected President in 2008. The Affordable Care Act 
was signed into law in 2010. The Supreme Court, with the Chief Justice 
voting in the majority, held that the Affordable Care Act was 
constitutional in 2012. A few months later, President Barack Obama was 
reelected in an electoral college landslide. Yet, later on this 
afternoon, we're voting to repeal the Affordable Care Act for the 37th 
time--over and over and over again. It's a classic definition of 
legislative insanity, as if the 37th vote is going to be any different, 
will yield any different results than the previous 36 where we've 
wasted the taxpayer dollars of the American people.
  The Affordable Care Act is the law of the land, and that's a good 
thing. It's a good thing because over the next decade more than 30 
million Americans who otherwise would not have had health care 
insurance will be insured. It seems to me that that's a good thing.
  The Affordable Care Act makes sure that insurance companies cannot 
deny medical coverage for preexisting conditions. It seems to me that 
that's a good thing.
  The Affordable Care Act provides small businesses with a 35 percent 
tax credit, which will enable these small businesses to continue to 
grow and to flourish. It seems to me that that's a good thing.
  The Affordable Care Act allows young Americans who are just starting 
out to remain on the insurance plan of their parents until the age of 
26, giving them a real chance to get themselves started in their 
pursuit of the American Dream. I'm new, but it seems to me that that's 
a good thing.
  Yet later on this afternoon, for the 37th time, we're engaging in 
another futile legislative fantasy.
  There are a couple of other things that we could be doing. We could 
be dealing with the sequester, $85 billion in random cuts that are 
costing the economy more than 500,000 jobs, but we're not.
  We could be debating the American Jobs Act, trying to put the people 
of this great country back to work and stimulate the economy, but we're 
not.
  We could be trying to get a budget, go to conference, create some 
certainty for industry and the American people, but we're not.
  Madam Speaker, I'm hopeful that after this vote is taken, we can 
finally come to the reality that the Affordable Care Act is the law of 
the land, it's good for the American people, and we should get back to 
doing things that will advance prosperity in this great country.

                          ____________________