Drew Ferguson: “The gentleman from Texas touched on some very important issues. One that he talked about was the process here, that this…”

“The gentleman from Texas touched on some very important issues. One that he talked about was the process here, that this is just the beginning of a long journey that we must take to rebuild our American healthcare system. This has been an open legislative process. More than 8 months ago, even before I was a Member of this great House, the Republican caucus here released A Better Way agenda, which detailed a consensus vision for patient-centered healthcare reform. Our bill, the American Health Care Act, is built on that framework. These ideas are not new. They are not unvetted. They are a product of many conversations, debates, and work. Unlike the drafting of ObamaCare, we want our constituents to know what is in this legislation before we pass it. That is why every American can go to readthebill.gop and look at this legislation for themselves. In fact, I encourage anyone who hasn't taken time to look at this legislation yet to go to readthebill.gop and read more about the American Health Care Act. At no point in this process have I felt closed out of it. As a matter of fact, as a freshman, I can tell you that I have had my voice heard, I have been asked for input, and I have seen many of the ideas that I have spoken about be included in this bill. This bill has not been crafted behind closed doors. It has not been kept in the shadows. As a matter of fact, it has been just the opposite.…”