Political Quotes

“One of the proudest moments of my career in this Chamber was the passage of the Affordable Care Act, not because it was perfect--it wasn't--but because it changed the lives for the better of tens of millions of Americans. Now, of course, we are threatened with repeal. Mr. Speaker, here is what repeal would look like by the numbers. Overturning the ACA would raise the number of uninsured people in the United States by 20 to 21 million people. Due to preexisting conditions, more than 100 million Americans could face higher health insurance premiums or the possibility that they might not get insured at all. Now, remember, as you consider the claim from my Republican friends that they will preserve preexisting condition coverage, remember that they promised for 10 years to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and they didn't do it. Then they promised to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, and they didn't do it. So when they promise to preserve preexisting conditions, take that with a grain of salt. But this is not just about the numbers. This is about real people in my district. People like Tom, who was able to start his own business once insurance didn't tie him to his job, or Robert, who was forced into bankruptcy by healthcare costs, but doesn't have to fear that anymore because of the Affordable Care Act. Mr. Speaker, I do not exaggerate when I say that repealing or striking down the Affordable Care Act would be a tragedy of enormous proportions.…”