On the recordJune 21, 2017
We hear the Senate is finally releasing a bill, a bill that would, sadly, take away healthcare from millions of Americans. Apparently, this bill will go straight to the Senate floor without a hearing, without a markup, without the opportunity for any public input. This Republican healthcare bill is a disaster. It removes guarantees of coverage that the Affordable Care Act created, allowing States to determine health insurance options and discriminate against people with preexisting conditions. Under the Republican plan to replace the Affordable Care Act, Colorado, alone, will lose billions of dollars of funding. Coloradans will no longer be covered by Medicaid, leaving many more people uninsured and a further burden on the rest of us, driving up our rates because we have to cover the uninsured. Even Colorado schools would be affected because many schools serve as Medicaid providers to students with disabilities, and they would lose that funding. While the Affordable Care Act isn't perfect, I strongly oppose this Republican plan to take away insurance coverage and raise rates for Coloradans. Not only is the bill disastrous, the secretive process undermines the institution of Congress and the American people that have elected every Member of this body. Mr. Speaker, I call on my colleagues to oppose the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. ____________________
