[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 20 (Wednesday, February 3, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E101-E102]
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. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 2, 2016

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of the 
President's veto of H.R. 3762, the Restoring Americans' Healthcare 
Freedom Reconciliation Act.
  The President was right to veto this irresponsible and mean-spirited 
legislation because it neither restores healthcare or freedom.
  I will proudly vote to sustain the President's veto.
  This bill is not a serious effort to address this nation's budgetary 
needs and its details reveal that it is another opportunity for the 
majority to hide behind legislative gimmicks in an attempt to kill the 
Affordable Care Act.
  This is a waste of taxpayer money and this body's legislative 
calendar, which has too few days left for wasting any of our time 
voting on bills that the President has communicated in writing that he 
will veto.
  The President was right to veto H.R. 3762 because it:
  1. continues the majority's relentless crusade to put barriers 
between women and their right to have the healthcare provider and 
services that they want and need;
  2. repeals individual responsibility requirements that people must 
have their own health insurance;
  3. repeals the Independent Payment Advisory Board, which works to 
keep Medicare solvent; and
  4. repeals the Prevention and Public Health Fund, which supports 
evidence-based programs designed to keep Americans health, prevent 
chronic and infectious diseases and reduce future healthcare cost.
  The news from across the nation regarding the healthcare freedom and 
choice created by the Affordable Care Act for first time health 
insurance consumers is overwhelmingly positive.
  Unfortunately, today the majority has targeted a women's right to 
control her own healthcare by attempting to defund Planned Parenthood.
  The partisan and mean-spirited nature of H.R. 3762 is illustrated by 
the fact that House Republicans have opted to proceed with this veto 
override vote notwithstanding the fact that after an exhaustive 
investigation lasting more than 5 months and led by a strongly pro-life 
Republican District Attorney, a grand jury in Harris County, Texas 
completely exonerated Planned Parenthood of the false, malicious, and 
scurrilous charge of trafficking in the sale of fetal body parts.
  Instead, the grand jury returned indictments against the producers of 
the doctored videos.

[[Page E102]]

  Mr. Speaker, in my home state of Texas, a law that would have cut off 
access to 75 percent of reproductive healthcare clinics in the state 
was challenged before the U.S. Supreme Court in 2014 and 2015.
  On October 2, 2014, the Supreme Court made unconstitutional a Texas 
law that required that all reproduction healthcare clinics that 
provided the full range of services would be required to have a 
hospital-style surgery center building and staffing requirements.
  This requirement meant only 7 clinics would be allowed to continue to 
provide a full spectrum of reproductive healthcare to women.
  In 2015, the State of Texas once again threatened women's access to 
reproductive health care when it attempted to shutter all but 10 
healthcare providers in the state of Texas.
  The Supreme Court once again intervened on behalf of Texas women to 
block the move to close clinics in my state.
  New attacks on women are now being couched with renewed attacks 
against the Affordable Care Act, which the majority has attempted to 
overturn with over 50 votes since its enactment.
  The attacks against Planned Parenthood is a social and economic 
statement that if you are a woman with money you have the right to 
think for yourself regarding your healthcare choices, but if you are 
poor or lack healthcare options you do not have that same right.
  Millions of women now have free coverage for comprehensive women's 
preventive medical services.
  The reality is women who face difficult health care decisions do not 
do so lightly.
  Women in this nation have a right to self-determination.
  It is fundamental human right and one that should be cherished.
  The most important right is the ability of each person to determine 
their destiny and this right has to be freely exercised.
  Healthcare has become a fundamental right for our nation's citizens 
with the best possible outcomes for the millions of people who had no 
healthcare due to pre-existing illnesses or were penalized with higher 
premiums for pre-existing conditions.
  Because of the Affordable Healthcare Act:
  1. l00 million Americans no longer have a life-time limit on 
healthcare coverage.
  2. 17 million children with pre-existing conditions can no longer be 
denied coverage by insurers.
  3. 6.6 million young-adults up to age 26 can stay on their parents' 
health insurance plans.
  4. 6.3 million Seniors in the ``donut hole'' have saved $6.1 billion 
on their prescription drugs.
  5. 3.2 million Seniors have access to free annual wellness visits 
under Medicare, and
  6. 360,000 Small Businesses are using the Health Care Tax Credit to 
help them provide health insurance to their workers.
  Statistics on Texas and the Affordable Care Act reveal that:
  1. 3.8 million Texas residents receive preventative care services.
  2. 7 million Texans no longer have lifetime limits on their 
healthcare insurance.
  3. 300,731 young adults can remain on their parents' health insurance 
until age 26.
  4. 5 million Texas residents can receive a rebate check from their 
insurance company if it does not spend 80 percent of premium dollars on 
healthcare.
  5. 4,029 people with pre-existing conditions now have health 
insurance.
  This year for the first time insurance companies are banned from:
  1. discriminating against anyone with a preexisting condition;
  2. charging higher rates based on gender or health status;
  3. enforcing lifetime dollar limits; and
  4. enforcing annual dollar limits on health benefits.
  Few people knew that health insurers viewed pregnancy as a pre-
existing condition.
  Because of the Affordable Care Act women can no longer be charged a 
higher rate just because they are women.
  Attempts to weaken or end the ACA are wrong.
  A January 2015, Gallup poll revealed that nationally the uninsured 
rate in the United States was reduced to 12.9%.
  The uninsured rate nationally dropped 4.2% points since the enactment 
of the Affordable Care Act.
  We are becoming a nation of equals when it comes to access to 
affordable healthcare insurance.
  I urge all Members to join me in voting to sustain President Obama's 
veto of this latest Republican effort to turn the clock back on women's 
rights and the healthcare safety-net that is assuring longer and 
heathier lives for millions of Americans.

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