[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 8]
[House]
[Pages 10315-10316]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HEALTHCARE.GOV DATA BREACH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Loudermilk) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LOUDERMILK. Mr. Speaker, throughout my life, I have learned that 
the American people are strong and resilient. Throughout our history, 
we have shown time and time again our

[[Page 10316]]

unique ability to overcome every obstacle and every adversary that has 
blocked our path to freedom. This resilience is what has advanced our 
Nation from being a ragtag rabble of citizens who took up arms in the 
American Revolution to being the greatest superpower in the world.
  Throughout our advancement as a nation, we have not always been 
perfect. In fact, we have made some grave mistakes. However, our shared 
dedication to liberty and justice for all people has put us back on 
course. And though it sometimes takes years, or even generations, the 
spirit of American exceptionalism overshadows our mistakes and, with 
the spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation, we move forward.
  However, when the government and its leaders purposefully mislead the 
American people, they are much less willing to forgive and forget, 
especially when such deception puts the people at risk, threatens their 
God-given rights or the sovereignty of this Nation. Mr. Speaker, I fear 
the American people and the Members of this Congress have, once again, 
been deceived, and I intend to get to the bottom of it.
  When the 111th Congress ran through this body the Affordable Care 
Act, the American people were sold a bill of goods with deceiving 
statements and deceptive promises, statements such as, ``If you like 
your healthcare plan, you can keep it.'' Although this disastrous 
legislation passed against the will of the people, some Americans 
trusted that the law would not take away their chosen healthcare plan. 
Unfortunately, the American people found out the hard way they have 
been deceived.
  Now, Mr. Speaker, new reports give evidence of another deception 
surrounding ObamaCare. Prior to the launch of the healthcare.gov Web 
site, officials of this administration assured Congress and the 
American people that personal information submitted via the ObamaCare 
Web site would be secure and would not be permanently stored. However, 
new evidence suggests this may have been just another bait-and-switch 
tactic.
  Contrary to what we have been told, the government is apparently 
storing American citizens' personal identifiable information obtained 
through the healthcare.gov Web site. If this is indeed true, then, this 
is not only another assault on the good faith of the American people, 
but, more importantly, it puts them at significant personal risk.
  This government has recently shown its inability to secure computer 
systems and protect sensitive information. In the past several months, 
we have been inundated with reports of security breaches of government 
computer systems, disclosing personal and official information that 
potentially harms our national security.
  With many Americans being forced into the government healthcare 
exchange, over 11 million people have registered with healthcare.gov. A 
breach of this system could be larger and potentially more disastrous 
than any of the previous breaches, which is a serious concern.
  Mr. Speaker, the last time I checked, our Founders gave us a 
government of the people, not a government of elitists, establishment, 
or executive privilege. We are a nation of laws, not a nation of 
feelings or good intentions. We are bound by the Constitution, but that 
Constitution is only as sound as the integrity of those who have sworn 
to uphold it.
  The American people expect their government to operate within the 
constraints of the Constitution, the limits of the law, and to be 
transparent and accountable. Unconstrained activity by government 
agencies has gone on far too long, and now their deceptions and 
reckless behavior is threatening the safety and the security of the 
American people. These actions put the future of our Nation at great 
risk, and they must stop.
  As chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight of Science, Space, and 
Technology, I intend to diligently pursue this issue, to find the 
truth, expose those who have violated the trust of the American people, 
and ensure the illegal collection of data by our government is stopped 
and the previously collected data is permanently removed.
  I intend to use the power given to this body through our Constitution 
and the trust invested in us by the American people to right these 
wrongs. Our citizens deserve better than this, and I am committed to 
ensuring that the American people have a nation that is once again 
free, safe, and full of opportunity.

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