[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 3]
[House]
[Pages 3519-3520]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT REPLACEMENT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, the Republicans released a bill last night. 
That bill deals with every American's welfare--every American's 
welfare--every child's welfare in this country. None of them were able 
to testify before the committee, before the committee marks it up on 
Wednesday. None of them were able to come to that committee and say how 
it will affect them or their families or their fellow citizens. None of 
them were able to testify as to the benefits of the Affordable Care Act 
for them, their families, their children, and their neighbors. None of 
them will have been able to read and digest the bill.
  Mr. Speaker, last night, after locking it away in a basement for 
days, and just as reporters were leaving to go home, Republicans 
released the text of their legislation to repeal the Affordable Care 
Act. The country has been waiting for 7 years for the Republican 
replacement, for the Republican alternative, for the Republicans to 
redeem their promise of a better plan, a better way to ensure the 
security of having health care that is affordable and available to each 
American and to their families and their children.
  Republicans have been promising, since the enactment of the 
Affordable Care Act in 2010, that they would repeal it entirely and 
enact something better. They don't repeal it entirely, and they don't 
offer something better, something that covers more Americans and lowers 
costs to consumers. For 7 years, they have said we have a better plan. 
Last night, they revealed the inaccuracy of that representation; the 
bait-and-switch, if you will, of that representation; the pretense to 
their conservatives who have voted some 65 times to repeal the 
Affordable Care Act that they were not going to offer a bill that did 
that, notwithstanding the fact that they said that is what they are 
going to do.
  The legislation they introduced would repeal, of course, some parts 
of the Affordable Care Act and replace them with policies that will 
take health coverage away, take health care away from millions of 
Americans and make millions of others pay more for less.
  President Trump, just the other day from that rostrum, promised the 
American people that the Republican plan would ``have insurance for 
everybody.'' That was not true. Neither the House Republicans nor the 
Senate Republicans nor President Trump have offered such a plan, and 
the plan that was revealed last night does not fulfill that 
representation.
  Mr. Speaker, it should not surprise us, however, that our President 
says things that prove to be not accurate. He also said from that 
rostrum that the policies would be far less expensive and far better 
than they are now. This bill does not do that, and the President has 
offered no bill that does that.
  This plan fails that representation miserably. It increases 
healthcare costs for middle class families in order to pay for tax 
breaks for the wealthiest, who don't need them to afford health care. 
We should not penalize people for becoming wealthy. We applaud their 
success. But we should not subsidize health care for those of us who 
can afford our health care while those who cannot are left to fend for 
themselves. In other words, the Republicans are once again saying you 
are on your own.
  Their bill also raids the Medicare trust fund, threatening its long-
term solvency. In fact, the affordable care added to the life 
expectancy of Medicare. The bill that the Republicans have put forward 
imposes severe cuts to Medicaid as well. It forces States and 
healthcare providers to carry the burden of the uninsured while taking 
away funding for expanded Medicaid.
  Their bill requires States to ration care by throwing those with 
preexisting conditions into ``sick pools,'' with higher premiums, 
higher deductibles, and waiting periods for coverage. And what services 
would be available under Medicaid?
  Their plan replaces the individual responsibility requirement which, 
by the way, Mr. Speaker, as you may well know, was the proposal of The 
Heritage Foundation. The Heritage Action for America, which is the 
political arm of the foundation, opposes the Republican bill. Not for 
the same reason I do, but because they believe it continues much of 
what ACA tried to do in protecting Americans in a plan that was 
initially proposed by The Heritage Foundation and adopted by Governor 
Romney in Massachusetts.
  Unbelievably, Mr. Speaker, Republicans won't even tell the American 
people how much this legislation will cost and what its impact will be 
on consumers' wallets and on our insurance markets. How do you do that? 
You have hearings, you listen to people, you listen to their 
experiences now, you listen to what their needs are, and you listen to 
those who have the greatest experience on their view of what the impact 
of this legislation will be. There have been no such hearings and none 
are planned.
  Republicans know that millions of Americans will lose coverage under 
their legislation: those covered under Medicaid, the health insurance 
exchanges, and even those with employer-based insurance. That is why, 
Mr. Speaker, in my opinion, they are rushing to see this bill put in 
force before it is illuminated by the light of day and before the 
American people find out how they will be impacted.
  Thankfully, Mr. Speaker, it will be difficult for House Republicans 
to enact their bill into law, not only because of the extreme 
opposition to those proposals by the American people, as we have seen 
in townhall meeting after townhall meeting after townhall meeting 
across this country, but also because the House and Senate Republicans 
are already rejecting it. It is not certain that House Republicans can 
even reach a majority in this House on their legislation.
  The head of the Republican Study Committee, the largest group of 
Republicans, has said this bill is not acceptable. The gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Meadows), the head of the Freedom Caucus, has said 
this bill does not repeal the Affordable Care Act, which is his 
objective and the objective of the Freedom Caucus. Senator Cruz has 
said that as well. Senator Paul has said that as well. Senator Lee has 
said that as well.
  One thing is clear, however, Mr. Speaker, House Republicans are going 
to have to find the votes on their own to dismantle the protections 
incorporated in the Affordable Care Act that the American people now 
have.
  Is the Affordable Care Act perfect? It is not. Should we have spent 
the last 6 years trying to make it work as well as it possibly can? 
Yes, we should have. Were we able to do that? No. The only alternative 
the Republican Party offered to the American people and to this House 
was to repeal. Not to replace, not to repair, not to fix, not to make 
sure it was more affordable and

[[Page 3520]]

more available to the American people so that we would be a healthier 
and stronger nation. Their only option was to repeal.

                              {time}  1245

  Mr. Speaker, I urge Republican leaders to withdraw this bill. Let us 
work together to ensure what almost every Member says they want, and 
that is a healthcare program in America that is affordable by all, 
available to all, and enjoyed by all. That is what President Trump said 
at that rostrum just days ago.
  This bill that the Republicans are going to mark up on Wednesday does 
not do what they say or what President Trump said. The American people 
will oppose it, and we will reflect their opposition in this House. But 
we are available to our Republican colleagues in good faith to work 
together to ensure that what the President said--available to all, at a 
lower price, with everybody having access--we will support that bill, 
if it exists, and we will work with our Republican colleagues to pass 
it and give that protection and security to the American people.
  Mr. Speaker, I note that there have not been many Republicans to 
speak this morning. I understand that one Republican spoke about this 
bill. I am amazed if they think this is a better way. I am amazed if 
they think this will do a better job than the Affordable Care Act. I am 
amazed if they think they are going to bring costs down and care up, 
and that we don't have a lot of Republicans, Mr. Speaker, coming to 
this floor and claiming victory. They are not here because they can't 
claim that victory.
  Let's reject this bill, Mr. Speaker. Let's work together. We can do 
better. The American people expect us to do better.

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