[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 10083]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1730
                           LET'S GET IT DONE

  (Mr. CICILLINE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, Senate Republicans delayed a 
vote on their bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act. This is a bill 
that Republicans wrote in secret. They allowed no input from the public 
or members of the Democratic Caucus, yet they still could not find the 
votes to pass their bill.
  Maybe that is because it eliminates health insurance for 22 million 
Americans; it imposes an age tax on older Americans; it allows 
insurance companies to discriminate based on preexisting conditions; it 
slashes Medicaid and leaves Medicare to wither on the vine. But no 
matter the reason, the lesson is clear: it is time for Republicans to 
give up on their effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
  The American people are benefiting from this law. Seniors like that 
they are saving money on prescriptions. Parents like that their kids 
can stay on their plan until they are 26. Workers like that their 
employers have to offer healthcare coverage.
  It is not perfect, but let's work together to approve the Affordable 
Care Act to make sure it works even better for the American people. 
Democrats are willing to do that. If Republicans will give up the idea 
of repeal, we can work together to make the Affordable Care Act even 
better. Let's get this done for our constituents and the American 
people.

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