On the recordJanuary 13, 2017
I am compelled to come to the floor this morning to oppose the Republican attempt to pull the rug out from under American families. Why are we going to a repeal bill without a replacement? It is irresponsible. What you are doing is you are throwing American families into quicksand. Here is a dirty little secret: this is also a fiscally irresponsible move because this is likely to balloon the debt and the deficit. Now, what I hear from my families back home in Florida is that the Affordable Care Act has been a godsend to them, and that includes the 9 million families that have private health insurance. The Affordable Care Act has provided vital consumer protections to prevent them from being discriminated against for a preexisting condition or being canceled if they do get sick, and it has kept premium costs in check. We also have a lot of Floridians who depend on Medicare; and because of the ACA, Medicare is stronger. In 2015 alone, the average Medicare recipient has put about $1,000 back into their pocket because the ACA closes the doughnut hole. I urge the House to vote ``no.'' Don't throw American families into chaos and don't wreak havoc on our economy.
