Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about healthcare and to ask that my colleagues join me in support of protecting individuals in America who have preexisting conditions. We can, and we must do a better job in reducing costs and improving access to healthcare in America. Since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law in 2010, no provision has had a more significant impact on the health of Americans than protecting those with preexisting conditions. In my district in 2010 in San Joaquin Valley in California, almost 25 percent of my constituents had no healthcare insurance whatsoever, and 17 percent were uninsured. Today, 9 years later, 10 percent of my constituents do not have healthcare insurance, and the ability to provide insurance for those who were underinsured has much improved. Before the ACA, insurers could deny health coverage to many health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, or cancer. How many of our families have preexisting conditions in those areas? I submit most of us do. These denials often force families into decisions between paying for a loved one's treatment or keeping the lights on in their house. No family should be faced with such a choice. Protections for preexisting conditions remain one of the popular parts of the ACA. These protections should not be weakened due to partisan politics. Working together in a bipartisan fashion is the only way we are going to get something enacted that will work for all Americans.…”