Political Quotes

“I thank my friend from Colorado (Mr. Buck) for taking the opportunity to highlight some of the good work the House has accomplished this year. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to build on these accomplishments so that Congress as a whole can keep their promises to the American people. As Congress continues to face the preeminent task of repairing our Nation's healthcare system, first and foremost, we must establish the proper foundation for a competitive and consumer-driven health insurance marketplace. The Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act of 2017 will restore the application of Federal antitrust and competition laws to the health insurance industry. Ending the special interest exemption is the first step to broader healthcare reform. Popular cost-reducing reform priorities, such as selling insurance across State lines and developing diverse consumer- driven plans, are predicated on the robust competitive markets this bill will ensure. The McCarran-Ferguson Act of 1945 exempted the insurance industry from the Sherman Act and the Clayton Act, acts that have the purpose of ensuring fair competition. This broad exemption was intended to assist the newly developing business of insurance so that those companies could set sustainable premiums by permitting data sharing between insurance companies. However, after 70 years, it is apparent that the broad-stroked exemption created by Congress in the 1940s was not wise.…”