[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 72 (Thursday, April 27, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H2909]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRUMPCARE DROPS MILLIONS FROM COVERAGE
(Ms. PINGREE asked and was given permission to address the House for
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, I thought the Republican plan for repealing
the Affordable Care Act and dropping 24 million Americans from
healthcare coverage could not get any worse, but I was wrong. The
latest iteration of TrumpCare still drops millions from their coverage,
but will now make coverage worse and more expensive for those who can
get it.
I believe all Americans deserve protections for the coverage of
essential health services and preexisting conditions, not just Members
of Congress. Swiss cheese insurance plans that don't cover ER visits or
prescriptions and charge you more if you have ever been sick aren't
worth the paper they are printed on.
This bill undermines our healthcare system in so many damaging ways.
And for what?
Let's not forget that the bill includes nearly $600 billion in tax
breaks for drug companies, insurers, and the wealthy. Millionaires
would get an average annual tax cut of more than $50,000 while
hardworking families and older Americans would struggle to afford
meaningful coverage.
I won't stand for a bill that endangers the well-being of my
constituents to benefit the very wealthiest Americans. I urge my
colleagues to do the same.
____________________