[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 103 (Thursday, June 25, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S4621]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
Mr. REID. Mr. President, today in this great country of ours the
Affordable Care Act--ObamaCare--has survived the latest partisan
attempt to deny health coverage to working families. Millions of
working families won today. America won today. The Supreme Court ruled
against Republicans who were seeking to strip 6.5 million Americans of
the subsidies that enable them to buy health insurance coverage.
America won, I repeat, very pure, very simple.
More than 10 million Americans are covered in the exchanges operating
across the country, many of them insured for the first time, and 85
percent of these men and women receive tax credits that help them
afford that coverage.
On top of that, 12 million more Americans now have coverage through
the Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Programs. The Commonwealth
Fund recently found that more than 8 in 10 adults--four-fifths--of
people who have these programs are satisfied with them. The Affordable
Care Act is not perfect. No law ever is. But this law is working for
millions--approaching 20 million--Americans.
Once again, the Affordable Care Act prevailed. So I say to my Senate
colleagues, respectfully--and I mean that--stop banging your heads
against the wall. This legislation passed. It is the law of this
Nation. Stop. Move on. Republicans should pause for a minute and look
back.
I don't know the number anymore. I don't know, I lost count--is it
75? It is certainly approaching 100--of the actual votes which have
taken place to repeal the law. Never even came close to passing, but
they have done it time and time again. Stop it. Think of the time
wasted doing it. As Einstein said, the pure definition of insanity is
someone who keeps doing the same thing over and over again and gets the
same results.
I would hope the Republicans would rethink what they have been up
to--their reckless, cynical attempts to increase taxes on millions of
middle-income families. That is what it amounts to.
I was interested in looking at the paper today regarding what
Republicans have suggested doing if the Supreme Court ruled against
this law. Every one of them, without exception, would be a tremendous
blow to the budgeting process of America. This bill makes America
money. It has cut the deficit significantly. That is why I say it makes
the country money. It allows for a more healthy nation.
Republicans weren't content to jeopardize the health of Americans in
need of coverage assistance in order to exact political revenge against
President Obama. They were happy trying to do that. I also think it is
important to note that Republicans who worked on this legislation in
the process going through the committees here admitted that the
legislation drafters never discussed withholding subsidies in the
manner suggested by the plaintiffs. Republicans who worked on the
legislation said that.
So I think the public has basically had it with Republicans trying to
take away a law that protects them from insurance company
discrimination when they get sick or hurt. Enough is enough.
I had a ``Welcome to Washington.'' I have them every Thursday. I had
a group of people here from Nevada who have family members who suffer
from cystic fibrosis. They were able to tell me that for the first time
in the lives of their children they could not be denied insurance. They
are adults now. They can't be denied insurance coverage because of this
law. If this had been repealed, people with cystic fibrosis and many
other diseases would not be able to get health insurance. So let's move
on. Stop this. Stop wasting the time of the American people by trying
to repeal the law.
I appreciate the work done by the Supreme Court, a 6-to-3 decision.
It was a good decision, a strong decision that upheld the law. Enough
is enough. Let's move on.
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