Health Care Reform

Floor Speech

Mr. LUJÁN. Madam Speaker, I would like to ask my friends on the other side of the aisle some questions: Why do you want to let health insurance companies deny people because of preexisting conditions? Why do you want people to lose their coverage if they lose their jobs? Why do you want to let insurance companies drop people when they get sick?

There is a simple choice. Either you want to stand up for the American people or you want to stand up for insurance companies. It has been clear over the last year that my friends on the other side of the aisle would rather stand up for health insurance companies. They would rather let insurance companies raise their rates by 25 percent like they did in my State of New Mexico. They would rather let families' premiums double by 2020, increasing from $12,100 to $25,600. They would rather let employer premiums increase by 98 percent by 2020.

This reform bill isn't perfect, but it stops insurance companies from denying people for preexisting conditions, it provides more choice, it lowers costs, it stops insurance companies from dropping people who are sick, it helps small businesses by giving them tax credits, and it helps seniors by making prescription drugs more affordable.

It's time to act. It's time to reform.

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