[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 20 (Wednesday, February 3, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E101]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RESTORING AMERICANS' HEALTHCARE FREEDOM RECONCILIATION ACT OF 2015--
          VETO MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. RUBEN HINOJOSA

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 2, 2016

  Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in agreement with President 
Obama's decision to veto H.R. 3762. If enacted, the bill would have 
repealed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and defunded 
Planned Parenthood, limiting healthcare options for millions of 
americans.
  ACA is working. The Affordable Care Act and its health exchanges are 
helping previously uninsured people acquire access to high-quality, 
affordable health insurance plans.
  The ACA expands coverage to include patients with pre-existing 
conditions, allows young adults to stay on their parent's family plan 
until age 26, and provides financial subsidies towards insurance 
premiums. In the days leading up to the deadline for the Federal Health 
Insurance Marketplace's third open enrollment season, the Centers for 
Medicare and Medicaid Services reported over 8.9 million people had 
signed up for health insurance coverage.
  To meet demand, I facilitated several enrollment and education fairs 
throughout my south Texas district in collaboration with local partners 
in the Enroll Rio Grande Valley Coalition. Community members had the 
opportunity to speak to certified application counselors and sign up 
for insurance before the January 31st deadline.
  I am disappointed that my Republican colleagues want to return to a 
time where women paid more for medical insurance than men and where 
patients could be denied coverage based on their previous health 
history. We cannot in good conscience strip affordable medical coverage 
from over an estimated 22 million people that have gained peace of mind 
since ACA's passage in 2010.
  Instead of enacting destructive legislation such as H.R. 3762, we 
must work together and build upon the Affordable Care Act and its 
successes. I am confident that we can collaborate to improve the 
current law and continue to expand protections for our country's most 
vulnerable populations.

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