[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 16837]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          AFFORDABLE CARE ACT

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, yesterday the Georgetown University Center 
for Children and Families released a stunning report detailing the 
sharp increase in the number of Nevada children who have health 
insurance. At one time, we were the most underinsured State in the 
country for health insurance.
  According to the Georgetown study, the number of Nevada children 
without health insurance fell by 35 percent in just 1 year. In 2013, 15 
percent of children in Nevada lacked health insurance coverage. One 
year later, that number fell to 9.3 percent.
  Reading directly from that report:

       States with the sharpest declines in the rate of uninsured 
     children were Nevada, Colorado, West Virginia, Mississippi, 
     and Rhode Island. Nevada's decline was considerably larger 
     than any other State.

  A 35-percent increase in the number of insured children in 1 year is 
remarkable. It means more children have access to the care they need to 
stay healthy. A number of these children will be able to go to the 
doctor for the first time in their lives. It is yet further proof that 
the Affordable Care Act is working in Nevada and across America.
  Again, I say to my friends, the Republicans: Let's start working 
together to improve health care. We want to work with you. If there is 
a problem you see with ObamaCare, let's work together. We have been 
able to make some improvements in this law, and we want to make more 
improvements. We just need cooperation from our Republican friends.
  The spike in the number of insured Nevada children is also due to the 
foresight of the Governor of the State of Nevada. Brian Sandoval is a 
Republican. He is a proud Republican who supported the State's Medicaid 
expansion option. He took on all the naysayers.
  Why did Brian Sandoval do this? Is he really one of ours? He did this 
because he thought it was the right thing to do for the State of 
Nevada, and it has been proven that, in fact, is true. By expanding 
Medicaid in Nevada, many, many more parents were able to secure 
affordable health care for their kids. Quite frankly, Governor 
Sandoval's courage stands in stark contrast to many of his fellow 
Republicans.
  Governors in a number of States dominated by Republican State 
legislatures have refused to expand coverage to the needy. These 
Republicans have blocked expanded coverage despite the fact that it 
means fewer Americans and their children have access to the health care 
they need. This means that people are dying as a result of this.
  Two States with the highest rates of uninsured children, Alaska and 
Texas, have rejected Medicare expansion, and others have done the same. 
There were many Republicans in Nevada who wanted to go the same route. 
The Republican State legislature within the Nevada congressional 
delegation opposed all efforts to increase access to health care. They 
have voted to repeal ObamaCare time and time again, but Governor 
Sandoval was not swayed by the cynics in his own party. He refused to 
let politics stand in the way of children's health, and today Nevada's 
children are better for it.
  I repeat, the Affordable Care Act is helping American families, it is 
helping Nevada families, and it is working especially well in States 
that are actually using the law as it was intended.
  I hope more Republicans will follow Governor Sandoval's examples, 
thus helping their States and their constituents by expanding access to 
quality health care. I am an admirer of Governor Sandoval, and that is 
saying a lot. His opponent in the last election was my son. But I have 
to say this: In spite of the fact that my son came in second, Brian 
Sandoval has done an outstanding job as Governor. I admire him and 
appreciate what he has done. I don't agree with everything he has done. 
I had some disagreements with what he did in the legislature. None of 
us are perfect, and he certainly isn't, but I appreciate what he has 
done for the betterment of the State of Nevada.

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