[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 9054]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   INTRODUCTION OF THE CERTIFY IT ACT

                                  _____
                                 

                        HON. STEPHEN LEE FINCHER

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 22, 2014

  Mr. FINCHER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to be a voice for the 
employees and owners of small businesses across the United States. The 
working class men and women who are struggling to make ends meet and 
who are on the front lines on the war against rising health care costs 
deserve to know the truth about Obamacare. The truth is Obamacare is 
hurting small businesses and their employees. Health care costs are 
rising and Obamacare is causing the problem rather than solving it.
  To shed some light on increased health care costs and their impact on 
America's middle class, I am introducing the Certify It Act. This bill 
requires the Comptroller General of the United States to annually 
study, for five years, the impact the Patient Protection and Affordable 
Care Act (Obamacare) will have on small business jobs and health care 
insurance premiums.
  This bill would also provide for a one-year delay of the employer 
mandate, the cornerstone of Obamacare, should the Comptroller General 
or the Office of Actuary at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 
Services (CMS), determine that Obamacare is causing a net employment 
loss among small businesses or caused small group health care insurance 
premiums to rise. Comptroller General would be required to conduct this 
study every year and the employer mandate would be delayed for every 
negative finding. In addition, should the Comptroller General or CMS 
fail to submit a report as specified by this bill, the employer mandate 
will not apply for the following calendar year.
  It is time for the Administration to be honest with the American 
people. It is time to protect our working class men and women who are 
going to feel the most negative impacts of Obamacare. The Certify It 
Act will prove once and for all that Obamacare causes job loss for 
small business and increases costs to small business health care. Mr. 
Speaker, it is time to protect the people and increase jobs.

                          ____________________