[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 4624]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            KEEPING PROMISES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Gaetz) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GAETZ. Mr. Speaker, the repeal and replacement of ObamaCare is 
about keeping promises and being worthy of the American people's trust.
  We, for the third time in American history, have unified Republican 
control of the government: a Republican in the White House and 
Republican control of the House of Representatives and of the Senate. 
In the last five campaigns, one out of every four ads was about health 
care, so it is our turn to lead.
  Here is what we know: ObamaCare today is failing. It is failing to 
meet the promises that were made that people could keep their doctor or 
keep their plan. It is failing to be affordable for those who see 
rising premiums, rising deductibles, no choices, no health care at all, 
and limited access.
  As Republicans leading in this Chamber, we are on a rescue mission to 
save the American people from this disaster and to replace this law 
with something that works and gets us away from government-centered 
health care and moves us to patient-centered health care, doctor-
centered health care.
  You know, we believe in ownership societies where you ought to be 
able to own your own healthcare plan, own your own decisions about 
education and how you choose to prosper.
  Today, the Rules Committee is contemplating amendments that should 
excite conservatives with generational changes that will unlock the 
potential of this great country.
  State flexibility, for the first time, we really see the option for 
States like mine in Florida to step up and say we don't want the 
Federal Government involved in health care anymore. We want to take 
control over those who are vulnerable in our communities, and we want 
to innovate and come up with solutions that meet those challenges.
  Work requirements, hardworking people in my district don't understand 
why they go to work every day but too often they are paying for 
entitlements for people who are able-bodied, childless, can work, and 
choose not to. That is wrong.
  We are going to take up, on this floor, legislation that I suspect 
will have a work requirement for able-bodied, childless adults for 
those States who choose to implement this bold conservative reform.
  We also expect that there will be an end to the disaster of Medicaid 
expansion. Today in America, one out of every four people is on 
Medicaid. That is absolutely unsustainable. It means three of us have 
got to pay for the cost of our own health care and then a substantial 
portion of the cost of someone else's.
  By ending Medicaid expansion for nonexpansion States, we put the 
country back on a path to prosperity--not government-centered health 
care, individual patient-centered health care where people can choose 
the plans that best meet their needs.
  If we do this, if we meet this challenge with our historic 
opportunity to lead, then the American people will know that we are 
worthy of their trust. We are keeping our word, and we will repeal and 
replace health care.

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