[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 11052]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                DON'T LET BAD POLITICS DRIVE BAD POLICY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen) for 3 minutes.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, just to set the record straight, I'm a 
family physician and the first female doctor in the Congress.
  Just less than 2 weeks ago, the Supreme Court issued a final ruling 
that the health care reform law is, in fact, constitutional. It is now 
the law of the land.
  Despite this, today my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are 
revisiting old political battles instead of using the final weeks in 
this session to fully implement a current law that will protect the 
health of every American, instead of creating jobs during a time when 
unemployment is at a persistent high, instead of strengthening the 
American economy and ensuring that taxes on middle class families are 
not raised.
  I have heard the scare tactics and spin that my colleagues are using 
to mislead the American public. The truth is this: repealing the health 
care reform bill would set this country back on a course no American--
Republican or Democrat--wants to go back to.
  With the list of horrible consequences, H.R. 6079 reads like a 
dishonor roll.
  The Republicans' repeal of health care reform will raise taxes on 18 
million middle-class people.
  More than 6 million young adults will lose the option of being 
covered under their parents' health care plans.
  More than 5 million seniors will pay more in prescription drugs, 
leaving many having to choose between paying their rent, food, or 
medicine.
  129 million Americans, 17 million of whom are children with so-called 
preexisting disease, which before health care reform included acne and 
pregnancy, may be denied health care coverage when they need it, and 33 
million currently uninsured Americans will stay among the ranks of the 
uninsured.
  More than 32 million seniors and 54 million other Americans will pay 
more for mammograms, colonoscopies, annual wellness exams, and other 
often lifesaving preventive care that detects cancers and diseases at 
their earliest stages when they are most treatable.
  105 million Americans would again have lifetime limits on their 
health insurance, which often puts health care services out of reach 
when people need it the most. Also, 15 million Americans would be 
dropped from their insurance companies altogether.
  Many of the provisions of the law may never get funded that would 
close the shameful gaps in health care that cause people of color, the 
poor of every race and ethnicity, even those who may be Republican or 
Tea Party, rural Americans and those who live in our Nation's 
territories, to die in excess numbers from preventable deaths and cost 
the country billions of dollars every year. There's nothing 
appropriate, just, fair, or worthy in this attempt to repeal the 
Affordable Care Act. It turns back progress. It closes a door to 
wellness that is now just being opened to over 30 million Americans. It 
sets this Nation on a path that is unhealthy and less financially 
secure, and it threatens our position of leadership in the world.
  Even though we know this is just an empty exercise, that it's not 
going anywhere, we do have the opportunity to stand together and do the 
right thing to not let bad politics drive bad policy. When the bill 
comes up for a vote, vote ``no'' on H.R. 6079.

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