Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker now is the time to protect American families--uphold the Affordable Care Act and oppose H.R. 2, the Republican repeal of health care. A vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act will leave millions of Americans at risk of losing their health coverage; children will face discrimination because of pre-existing conditions and seniors will be left scrambling to pay full price for prescription drugs.

In fact, there is a deep concern about the practicality of repealing the Affordable Care Act and the detrimental impact repeal will have on women, children and older Americans. When Republicans wrote a Medicare prescription plan that created a ``gap'' in their coverage, seniors across the country were forced to pay full price for their prescription drugs. The Affordable Care Act eliminated the ``donut hole'', allowing millions of seniors to buy life saving medications.

Prior to the passage of the Affordable Care Act, many Americans families were uninsured and underinsured. Families were forced to choose between paying for coverage for children with pre-existing conditions or feeding them. Passage of the Affordable Care Act gave them back their dignity. Today, those children are guaranteed coverage regardless of pre-existing conditions and are allowed to remain covered under their parent's insurance plans until the age of 26.

All 23 counties in the 2nd District are medically underserved and many of my constituents are unable to afford health coverage. Under the Affordable Care Act, 315,000, resident's health insurance coverage will improve; 95,000 uninsured residents in my district will be extended coverage; and 16,500 residents with pre-existing conditions can obtain coverage. We cannot and should not be considering repeal of a sound policy that millions of Americans are currently benefiting from and countless more stand to benefit when fully implemented.

A vote in favor of this appeal would strip American families of their dignity and force them to go back to choosing between paying for health coverage or putting food on their tables. We must continue to build on our efforts to expand accessible and affordable health coverage for all Americans. Today, I strongly urge my colleagues to oppose H.R. 2.

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