[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6924]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Indiana (Mr. Carson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, this week the House is voting to 
repeal the Affordable Care Act for the 37th time.
  In every congressional district, there are seniors, new mothers, 
young children, low-income families, and young adults just starting out 
on their own. Do my good Republican friends really want to take away 
their chance for better health?
  I would never do that to my constituents, which is why I'm here 
today, Mr. Speaker, to say again, I am proud of my vote for the 
Affordable Care Act.

                              {time}  1030

  Recently, I had a chance to spend some time with some Hoosiers across 
my district, and I heard again and again their worry about rising 
health care costs and their family's ability to access care. 
Fortunately, millions of Americans no longer have to worry about 
accessing care because of the Affordable Care Act. Instead, more than 
half a million Medicare beneficiaries in Indiana alone received free 
preventive services in 2012, avoiding more costly illnesses. More than 
17 million children with preexisting conditions nationwide are no 
longer being denied insurance coverage. More than 100 million Americans 
no longer face lifetime limits on coverage.
  Mr. Speaker, over 360,000 small businesses have already used tax 
credits to help insure 2 million workers. By the end of this year, 
health exchanges will be set up making it easier for people who don't 
have insurance to choose the coverage that best suits their needs. Next 
year, we will happily welcome even more consumer protections. Insurance 
companies will no longer be able to place lifetime limits on coverage. 
Discrimination against preexisting conditions will be banned for all 
Americans.
  This means that when a woman notices a lump under her arm, there is 
no reason for her to wait until she finds a job to schedule an 
appointment. And she doesn't have to wait to get sicker, costing more 
of her time off from work and away from her family. Under the 
Affordable Care Act, Mr. Speaker, she knows she can obtain potentially 
lifesaving care right away. The same goes for her spouse, her parents, 
and her children. Our health care system benefits us by allowing us to 
make investments in lower-cost treatments and prevention now rather 
than expensive therapies later.
  Of course, I know that times are tough right now and we have to be 
even more careful about the mandates we put on businesses. But my good 
Republican colleagues seem to forget that people have to be healthy to 
contribute to our economic growth. As a Representative of many 
hardworking families, Mr. Speaker, I have stood here time and time 
again over the past few years to extend a hand to anyone who wants to 
work with me and us to provide quality health care for all Americans.
  Today, I make that very same offer. I will work gladly with anyone 
who wants to improve our health care system and ensure that all 
Americans have access to quality and affordable health care.
  I call on my Republican colleagues to work with us to implement the 
Affordable Care Act and start improving it. It's time we all stand 
together, Mr. Speaker, and start looking out for the health of this 
great Nation. Without it, we have nothing.

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