[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 2253]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                 H.R. 7

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                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 29, 2014

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, due to a medical issue, I was unable to 
be in Washington, DC for votes on Tuesday, January 28, 2014. I strongly 
oppose H.R. 7 and had I been present for the vote, I would have voted 
``no.''
  H.R. 7 is a thinly veiled attempt to insert politics into the 
doctor's office and private market, and to continue the GOP assault on 
women. It would effectively ban abortion coverage in new plans 
available under the Affordable Care Act, even for women purchasing 
plans in the state-based marketplaces who use their own, private funds 
to pay for their insurance. This bill would also place an undue burden 
on small businesses, which would have to carefully examine every health 
care plan they offer to find out if it covers abortion services, and 
imposes a tax penalty on small businesses who choose such private 
plans.
  Finally, H.R. 7 would permanently block abortion coverage for low-
income women, civil servants, DC residents, and military women by 
codifying anti-choice provisions throughout federal law.
  Not only are these alarming policy goals, but I would note that they 
contradict the Republican view of government by importing government 
intervention directly into the doctor-patient relationship. It's bad 
for women, bad for families, and bad for business.

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