[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 11959]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                               OBAMACARE

  (Mr. RICE of South Carolina asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, Democratic Senator Max 
Baucus was dead-on when he called the President's health care law a 
``train wreck.'' Its effects are becoming clear and undeniable. It is 
stifling economic growth and job creation, premiums are skyrocketing, 
and record numbers of employers are delaying hiring or hiring part time 
to avoid the employer mandate.
  I recently heard from a hardworking small business owner, Sue Lee, 
who owns a hardware store in Latta, South Carolina. Since the passage 
of ObamaCare, she has seen her insurance premium balloon to more than 
$2,100 per month, or $26,000 per year, for three employees. That's 
outrageous. How can we expect our small businesses to grow and expand 
when they are forced to comply with more and more burdensome Federal 
regulation?
  I am so glad we have the Federal Government to dictate to we helpless 
citizens which coverages we need. We can't be trusted to make that 
choice ourselves. How can we expect our small businesses to hire when 
they can't afford to buy maternity coverage on every employee, 
regardless of their age, mental health coverage on every employee? And 
substance abuse coverage on every employee is mandated by this ill-
conceived and poorly drafted law.
  The American economy would have already recovered if we could get the 
Federal Big Brother out of the way. I'm glad we delayed the employer 
and individual mandates, but the only way to relieve this law's 
enormous drag on our economy and get hardworking Americans back to work 
is full repeal.

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