[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 49 (Tuesday, March 21, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H2248-H2249]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    MICHIGANDERS WILL LOSE COVERAGE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Michigan (Mrs. Lawrence) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to the 
American Health Care Act.
  This week, the Republicans will call for a vote to push 24 million 
Americans off of their health care and transfer massive healthcare 
costs on working families across the country.
  Today I will take a moment to talk about the impact that TrumpCare 
will have on my district, the 14th District of Michigan. Under this 
bill, 70,000 constituents of mine will lose coverage by 2026.
  One of the pillars of the existing Affordable Care Act were allowing 
States like Michigan--who, for the record, has a Republican Governor 
who worked hard to make sure that we were able to have Medicare 
expansion so that we could use the Affordable Care Act in Michigan.
  One of the pillars of the Affordable Care Act was to expand Medicaid 
coverage to millions of people. According to the statistics from 
Healthy Michigan, which is our process for affordable health care in 
Michigan, over 650,000 Michiganders enrolled and gained access to 
health coverage.
  In Oakland and Wayne Counties, which I represent, there are over 
140,000 individuals enrolled in Healthy Michigan, the Affordable Care 
Act. Under the Republican bill, these same Michiganders will lose the 
coverage that they depend on for their long-term care.
  Approximately 200,000 seniors, disabled individuals, children, and 
women who receive care through traditional Medicaid will be severely 
impacted by the Republican health plan. That includes half of all the 
children in Michigan, including over 100,000 children in my district 
alone.
  Republicans are using the repeal-and-replace legislation once again 
to target women's health by defunding Planned Parenthood. No matter how 
many times it has been substantiated, it is a fact, it has been stated, 
the Republicans do not seem to understand or refuse to accept the fact 
that Federal dollars do not pay for abortions.
  Planned Parenthood provides a variety of preventative care, including 
contraception and cancer screening for millions of Americans and women 
in this country.
  Instead of allowing Planned Parenthood to continue their important 
mission of providing women across the country with quality health care, 
Republicans have decided to jeopardize the health of millions of 
Americans because of a blatantly partisan witch hunt.
  I would like to take a minute to share a letter one of my 
constituents wrote me about her experience with the Affordable Care 
Act:
  ``As a self-employed person, the first time in my life I've been able 
to have health care in Michigan has been through the Affordable Care 
Act, and I still only very, very rarely go to the doctor.
  ``But I'm happy to pay into the system every month because I believe 
that's what it means to be a good citizen: that a healthy community is 
a safer community, a happier community, and a more creative community.
  ``Health care is a very important issue to me. My brother has cystic 
fibrosis, and it is only through Medicaid expansion that he is still 
able to receive health care.
  ``The thought of the Medicaid expansion being phased out and my 
brother being somehow responsible for paying for tens of thousands of 
dollars per month for necessary medication destroys me.''
  Mr. Speaker, my constituents deserve better. I urge my colleagues to 
oppose TrumpCare, the American Health Care Act.
  I will stand here and say that the Affordable Care Act is not 
perfect, but if we really do the job that we are sent here to do as 
Members of Congress, we would sit down together and fix what is wrong 
with our existing healthcare

[[Page H2249]]

program so that every American will be able to continue to stay on 
their health care, still be able to allow their children to stay on 
their health care, and still be able to get health care without being 
penalized for a preexisting condition.
  Let us work together to make health care affordable for all 
Americans.

                          ____________________