[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 8 (Thursday, January 12, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H404]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              REPLACE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT--DON'T REPEAL IT

  (Mr. PALLONE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, the Republican majority has declared its 
intent to immediately pass legislation to repeal the Affordable Care 
Act without a replacement. That means millions of Americans with health 
insurance today will lose their coverage.
  That is people like Michelle from New Brunswick in my district who 
recently wrote to me and said: ``As a survivor of childhood cancer, I 
am deeply concerned about the repeal of the ACA, which could bar me 
from obtaining health insurance due to my pre-existing conditions.
  ``I accessed coverage from the ACA insurance exchange when I lost my 
job due to a health condition in 2014-2015. Because I had affordable 
coverage, I was able to obtain the necessary care needed to recover 
from the long-term effects from cancer. Now, I'm back on my feet, 
working, and contributing to the American economy.
  ``I urge you to please defend the ACA and help the 335,000-plus 
cancer survivors in New Jersey who depend on it.''
  Mr. Speaker, the public deserves thorough and complete information on 
how working families will fare compared to today if the law is 
repealed.
  Health care means life or death for American families. It is also 
nearly 18 percent of the Nation's gross domestic product. Often a 
hospital or health system is the largest employer in a county or town. 
We can't afford to be capricious with our approach to health care.

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