[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 155 (Wednesday, September 25, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H7912-H7913]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  AFFORDABLE HEALTH INSURANCE OPTIONS

  (Mr. BUDD asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

[[Page H7913]]

  

  Mr. BUDD. Mr. Speaker, when Congress passed the Affordable Care Act 
in 2010, President Obama made a famous promise: that the American 
people would be able to keep the plans they liked while paying less for 
health insurance. But, Mr. Speaker, that famous promise was false, and 
ObamaCare's consequences are still being felt to this day.
  Over the preceding decade, premiums for individual coverage have more 
than doubled, patient choice has declined, and State exchanges have 
collapsed. This upheaval is a direct result of the law's rigid and 
costly regulations that predated the Trump administration.
  In order to bring down costs and increase choice, today I introduced 
the Flexibility Through Lower Expenses Healthcare Act, or the FLEX Act.
  The FLEX Act codifies into law the Trump administration's rules on 
short term, limited duration, and association healthcare plans. This 
will allow small businesses to band together to purchase affordable 
plans and give consumers the freedom to purchase low-cost, short-term 
plans if they need to.
  Mr. Speaker, it is time for Congress to follow the Trump 
administration's lead and make these rules permanent. All citizens of 
our great country deserve affordable health insurance options that are 
free from ObamaCare's crippling regulatory regime.

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