[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 39 (Tuesday, March 7, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H1542-H1543]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  DESTABILIZING OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Washington (Ms. DelBene) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. DelBENE. Mr. Speaker, last night, House Republicans released a 
dangerous and irresponsible bill that threatens to destabilize our 
Nation's healthcare system and rob millions of Americans of their 
health insurance plans.
  Since coming to Congress, I have worked tirelessly to find 
commonsense fixes to our Nation's healthcare laws. We should be working 
together to build upon the reforms we have already made to expand 
coverage and reduce costs. But what my colleagues on the other side of 
the aisle have put forward would make working families, seniors, 
children, and people with disabilities foot the bill for their poorly 
conceived experiment.
  What is worse, they are giving our constituents and their 
Representatives in Congress less than 48 hours to review it before 
jamming it through committees.
  As a former businesswoman and entrepreneur, I am always stunned to 
see leaders in Congress put forward a half-baked plan like this--one 
that threatens massive disruption and chaos, released in the middle of 
the night without any data or metrics to show how it makes literally 
anything better. In the private sector, that is the sort of behavior 
that can get you fired.
  For a moment, let's put aside the fact that committees are planning 
to mark up this legislation tomorrow without any data from the 
Congressional Budget Office on how many of our constituents can expect 
to lose health coverage or see their taxes go up. Let's talk about the 
one thing we do know: this bill is an enormous tax cut for the 
wealthiest Americans.
  Through this bill, Republicans are trying to give an average tax cut 
of around $7 million to the 400 highest-income households--a tax cut 
they don't need and didn't ask for. They are doing it while ripping 
health insurance away from millions of hardworking Americans; forcing 
seniors to pay a staggering $3,200 more on premiums every year, for 
less coverage; increasing the cost of prescription drugs for middle 
class families; eliminating coverage for women's health care, like 
birth control, breast cancer screenings, and maternity care; and 
decimating the Medicaid program for 62 million children and families, 
seniors, pregnant women, and people with disabilities.
  This is hardly what I would call a great deal or a better way for the 
middle class, which is what the American people were repeatedly 
promised by President Trump and Speaker Ryan.

                              {time}  1230

  No, their idea of a healthcare plan is a tax cut for the wealthy at 
the expense of everyone else. When our healthcare system falls apart, 
we will all pay the price.
  My in-box has been flooded with phone calls, emails, and letters from 
constituents who are terrified about what the Republicans are trying to 
do. Like Stacie, from Snoqualmie, who got coverage under the Washington 
State exchange after spending years struggling to pay for health care. 
She recently wrote to me and said: ``Just last week I was diagnosed 
with breast cancer. I am terrified--not as much by the cancer, but by 
the thought that we might not be able to pay for health insurance.''
  This bill spells disaster for people like Stacie. As her 
representative in Congress, I will not stand for it. I will fight every 
day to protect the reforms that have made health insurance accessible 
and affordable for her. We can't go back to a time when getting sick 
meant going bankrupt, and that is exactly what this legislation would 
do.

[[Page H1543]]

  

                          ____________________