Political Quotes

On the recordMarch 24, 2010
When the President signed the health care reform bill into law, he noted, ``The overheated rhetoric of reform will finally confront the reality of reform.'' He's right. Here is the reality: Insurance companies will now be required to accept children with preexisting conditions and carry adults up to the age of 26 on their parents' policies. New policies will have to cover preventative care without copays. Such requirements may or may not be in the public interest, but health insurance that is no longer a hedge against risk cannot accurately be called health insurance. Health insurance companies are now more like public utilities. Keep in mind that individual mandates requiring the purchase of insurance to broaden the pool will not kick in for 4 years. New competition is not required, nor is there any serious effort to deal with legal liability. In other words, there is no downward pressure on cost, only upward pressure. Americans should now be prepared for higher premiums. That, Madam Speaker, is the reality of reform.
Said by
Jeff Flake
Republican · Arizona

Editor's note · Context

The speaker discusses the implications of the health care reform bill signed by the President.

Share

More from Jeff Flake

Dec 5, 2018

the Senate will be a less august chamber without you, sir.

congress.gov
Jan 1, 2019

I do hope that somebody runs to remind Republicans what it means to be conservative and to remind the country what it means to be decent, as well.

transcripts.cnn.com
Dec 27, 2018

Any time that you stand and say, I own the shutdown, then you own it.

transcripts.cnn.com
Jan 1, 2019

And as Mitt Romney said, I think we've fallen short in that regard.

transcripts.cnn.com

Other voices in this conversation