[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 4660]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               FOCUS OUR ATTENTION ON MAKING A DIFFERENCE

  (Mr. BLUMENAUER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, there was a television program some 
years ago that Monty Hall had: ``Let's Make a Deal.''
  Well, up in the Rules Committee, we are acting out a congressional 
version of ``Let's Make a Deal.'' People aren't dressing up like 
radishes and jumping up and down, but they are trying to contort the 
flawed Republican repeal of the Affordable Care Act into something that 
can somehow thread the needle and get votes through the House of 
Representatives. Well, Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate.
  This week we are commemorating the seventh anniversary of the passage 
of the Affordable Care Act. We don't need costumes and jumping up and 
down. It has reduced the uninsured rate to the lowest in our history. 
It has strengthened rural and small town hospitals across the country. 
It has extended coverage to people who otherwise would not have it. 
Repeal of this amazing accomplishment would be unprecedented. It would 
be sad, and it would be wrong.
  I sincerely hope that we are going to be able to focus our attention 
on something that will make a difference, not forcing Americans to pay 
more for inferior coverage and deny it to many others.

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