[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 49 (Tuesday, March 21, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H2247]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT HAS IMPROVED AMERICAN LIVES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Jeffries) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, this is a monumental week here on Capitol 
Hill as we will decide the fate of health care in America.
  Despite the evidence that the Affordable Care Act has made a positive 
difference in the lives of everyday Americans, Republicans are set to 
destroy it. But the Affordable Care Act has improved the quality of 
life for tens of millions of people all across this country.
  As a result of the Affordable Care Act, people born with preexisting 
conditions can no longer be denied health insurance.
  As a result of the Affordable Care Act, young people can remain on 
their parents' health insurance all the way through to the age of 26.
  As a result of the Affordable Care Act, women can no longer be 
discriminated against with respect to the issuance of insurance simply 
based on their gender.
  As a result of the Affordable Care Act, seniors are paying less for 
lifesaving prescription drug medication.
  As a result of the Affordable Care Act, more than 1 million people 
throughout this country--including in rural America--are able to 
receive substance abuse treatment because of them being caught up in 
the opioid addiction epidemic.
  The Affordable Care Act has made a positive difference in the lives 
of everyday Americans, yet this President says it has been a disaster. 
This is the same President who, for 5 years, perpetrated the racist lie 
that Barack Obama was not born in the United States of America, who 
said that he received more votes than Hillary Clinton, who claimed that 
there were more people at the inauguration than in 2009. This is an 
individual who still maintains that his predecessor, Barack Obama, 
committed a felony and ordered a wiretap, despite testimony from the 
FBI Director to the contrary.
  Let's be clear. What will be an unmitigated disaster is TrumpCare, 
which House Republicans are working to jam down the throats of the 
American people.
  TrumpCare, the Republican healthcare plan, will result in 24 million 
Americans losing their health care.
  TrumpCare, the Republican plan, will gut Medicaid, stripping it of 
$880 billion, taking dead aim at seniors, the poor, and the afflicted.
  TrumpCare will impose an age tax on people between the ages of 50 and 
64, causing some in that category who are currently paying 
approximately $1,700 per year to pay close to $14,000 in age tax--on 
people between 50 and 64.

                              {time}  1045

  That is TrumpCare, the Republican plan, an unmitigated disaster 
taking dead aim at the American people. It will result in tens of 
thousands of Americans dying. It is a death sentence. Seniors will die. 
The poor will die. The chronically ill will die. Rural Americans will 
die. People between the age of 50 and 64 will die. And the executioner 
will be the authors and those who support the Republican healthcare 
plan.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from 
engaging in personalities toward the President.

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