[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Pages 8673-8674]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          AFFORDABLE CARE ACT

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, my friend the Republican leader can't see 
the forest for the trees when it comes to health care. I understand 
that. He has given many speeches denigrating ObamaCare.
  The facts are that more people are getting access to health care 
today under the Affordable Care Act than ever before. The share without 
insurance is now at an alltime low.
  The cost growth in health care has never been lower than it has been 
since ObamaCare kicked in. I was telling one of my Senator friends 
yesterday that when I went home during the Memorial Day recess, I had 
two people come to me. I know that is not a great sampling, but it 
shows how impactful the legislation has been. Both of them had children 
with significant challenges, physical and mental. These young men and 
women now have the ability to get health care. They cannot be denied 
insurance because of their preexisting disability. This law that was 
passed not only applies to people with disabilities about which I have 
just spoken, but it applies to people with disabilities such as 
diabetes. Prior to ObamaCare, women could be charged

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more for their health care. So people are extremely satisfied with 
health care.
  The Supreme Court should understand that about 7 million people who 
are happy with their health care and who are receiving subsidies for 
their insurance to take care of themselves would lose that. They would 
lose those subsidies. It would be a devastating blow to 7 million 
people, as well as to the economy. Also, those people who don't need 
subsidies benefit significantly. The people who have had increased 
premiums--my friend was very selective in whom he chose, because the 
people having increases are very minimal. I will have more to say about 
that at some subsequent time in the near future.
  ObamaCare is working. Reports out this week show that all the targets 
have been met as to people who have purchased insurance and they are 
paying their premiums. So I think we should try to improve the law 
rather than my Republican friends continually trying to talk about the 
failures that don't exist.

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