OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of Veto Message From the President of the United States

Floor Speech

Date: Feb. 3, 2016
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Executive Branch Health and Health Care

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Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in agreement with President Obama's decision to veto H.R. 3762. If enacted, the bill would have repealed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and defunded Planned Parenthood, limiting healthcare options for millions of americans.

ACA is working. The Affordable Care Act and its health exchanges are helping previously uninsured people acquire access to high-quality, affordable health insurance plans.

The ACA expands coverage to include patients with pre-existing conditions, allows young adults to stay on their parent's family plan until age 26, and provides financial subsidies towards insurance premiums. In the days leading up to the deadline for the Federal Health Insurance Marketplace's third open enrollment season, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reported over 8.9 million people had signed up for health insurance coverage.

To meet demand, I facilitated several enrollment and education fairs throughout my south Texas district in collaboration with local partners in the Enroll Rio Grande Valley Coalition. Community members had the opportunity to speak to certified application counselors and sign up for insurance before the January 31st deadline.

I am disappointed that my Republican colleagues want to return to a time where women paid more for medical insurance than men and where patients could be denied coverage based on their previous health history. We cannot in good conscience strip affordable medical coverage from over an estimated 22 million people that have gained peace of mind since ACA's passage in 2010.

Instead of enacting destructive legislation such as H.R. 3762, we must work together and build upon the Affordable Care Act and its successes. I am confident that we can collaborate to improve the current law and continue to expand protections for our country's most vulnerable populations.

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