On the recordJanuary 12, 2017
I rise for the first time as a Member of Congress to discuss an issue that is at the forefront of the American conscience and is one that I care deeply about: protecting and improving the Affordable Care Act. Today, over 45,000 of my constituents have access to reliable, affordable healthcare coverage thanks to the Affordable Care Act. These are seniors who would otherwise be unable to afford their prescription drugs. These are working families who no longer have to worry about being one illness away from bankruptcy. These are children who have been born with birth defects who would have previously been denied coverage for having a preexisting condition or reached their lifetime limits before they even started school. What concerns me most is this effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act without putting forth any sort of replacement. This will have real consequences for American families, and it is simply reckless governance. We cannot play politics with 20 million American lives who depend on the Affordable Care Act for access to quality, affordable health care. This is not a game. ____________________
