[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 3606]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  POVERTY AND THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT

  (Mr. HOYER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, this week marks the sixth anniversary of the 
adoption of the Affordable Care Act.
  I am proud of the role I played as majority leader in 2010 to bring 
that legislation to the floor, legislation that has been 
extraordinarily successful in making affordable coverage accessible to 
millions of Americans.
  The Affordable Care Act has become a critical tool in fighting 
poverty. As a result of the Affordable Care Act, 20 million previously 
uninsured individuals now have coverage.
  Expanded Medicaid is now covering 8.6 million Americans in 28 States 
and the District of Columbia. Were the rest of the States to implement 
it, it would provide access to affordable, quality care to another 5.1 
million Americans.
  Young people under age 26 can be covered under a parent's plan, 
making it easier for them to find their footing in the workforce. And 
insurance companies, Mr. Speaker, can no longer deny coverage based on 
a preexisting condition.
  As we mark this anniversary, the Democratic Whip's Task Force on 
Poverty, Income Equality, and Opportunity will continue to lead efforts 
to defend the law against attempts to repeal or undermine it, and we 
will pursue additional policies that help more Americans stay healthy, 
put roofs over their heads, and find jobs that lift them out of poverty 
and into the middle class.

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