[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 57 (Tuesday, April 2, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H2975]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HEALTHCARE IS A RIGHT, NOT A PRIVILEGE

  (Mr. CISNEROS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. CISNEROS. Mr. Speaker, healthcare is a right, not a privilege. 
Unfortunately, I know all too well what it is like to have family 
members without healthcare coverage.
  My mother went 15 years without health insurance, 15 years without 
seeing a doctor. My father used to drive to Mexico to get his diabetes 
medication because he had no insurance to cover the high cost.
  The Affordable Care Act has provided over 20 million people with 
insurance and allowed them to have access to healthcare; 9,000 of them 
are in my district. It has also provided protections for those with 
preexisting conditions, protections that this administration and my 
colleagues on the other side of the aisle have tried to take away.
  I have spoken with so many parents who may have a child with a heart 
condition, childhood diabetes, or asthma. If these protections are 
taken away, so many families won't be able to afford the necessary 
surgeries or medications for these kids.
  Let's do what is right for kids. Let's do what is right for families 
and protect the Affordable Care Act. Let's protect healthcare.

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