Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011
Floor Speech
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Mr. SERRANO. I think before we go any further on this subject, we really have to understand what is happening here. The majority party would like to do away with the health care reform law, and the way to do that is exactly that way, to try to do away with the law. But they don't have the votes in both Houses to do that. So what they're trying to do is not fund provisions that have to go into place.
So at this moment what Mrs. Emerson is trying to do is say that no funds can be used to impose this mandate. Now, this particular part is going to get played out in the courts. So let's be honest: the courts will have to decide why it's okay to mandate that you have car insurance but not this particular issue. And there are going to be a lot of other issues that are going to be done. But the issue here is that they would like to legislate on this bill the end of health care. And that's just not going to happen.
Lastly, what this amendment does is speak to the larger issue, which is that in this country now we have a law that provides access to quality health care to all residents regardless of who they are, where they live, or their income. The only people who are upset about this bill, about this law, and have done a good job of telling
the American people that this is the end of the world, are the insurance companies who now have to step up to the plate and follow the law.
So we know what this is about. We know what you are trying to accomplish, but it's not going to work. It's not going to work this way, and it's not going to work in rescinding the law.
Lastly, you know that every so often I give advice to the Republican Party because I like you. If you keep calling it ObamaCare, you know what's going to happen? It's going to make it through the courts, and 20 years from now you are going to have Social Security, Medicare, and ObamaCare, and you would have cemented his legacy forever. So we thank you for that, and I am sure the President thanks you.
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Mr. SERRANO. Let me just very quickly in closing say that I was very surprised and interested in hearing that the Republican Party is going to move next on undoing the mandate on car insurance throughout this country and other insurance. We know what this is. This is a way to try to kill the law of the land. This should not be done. And I oppose the amendment.
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