[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 15, 2020)]
[House]
[Page H275]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               HEALTHCARE

  (Ms. WEXTON asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. WEXTON. Mr. Speaker, before coming to Congress, I served for 5 
years in the Virginia General Assembly, and the proudest vote I ever 
took in Richmond was to pass Medicaid expansion in Virginia.
  Today, as a result of that expansion, more than 375,000 Virginians 
now have coverage under Medicaid. It has been a win-win for everyone 
involved--for those who would otherwise go uncovered and for the 
hospitals and healthcare providers who often provide service to the 
uninsured without compensation. A recent study has even suggested that 
Medicaid expansion has saved thousands from opioid overdoses.
  Medicaid expansion saves lives, and the success we have seen in 
Virginia is thanks to the Affordable Care Act.
  Americans need to know that while my colleagues and I are fighting to 
protect and strengthen the ACA, Donald Trump and the congressional 
Republicans are in court right now working to strike down the ACA with 
no plan or replacement.
  Without the ACA, Medicaid expansion, which covers 17 million 
Americans, is in jeopardy, and so is coverage for more than 130 million 
Americans with preexisting conditions. With so much at stake, I urge my 
Republican colleagues to end their attacks. In the meantime I will 
continue to fight back.

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