John Rice Carter: “I thank the gentleman for yielding, my good friend, Representative Burgess from Texas. We are very blessed to have…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding, my good friend, Representative Burgess from Texas. We are very blessed to have Representative Burgess' leadership on the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee, as he chairs the Health Subcommittee and brings his years of experience. I want to thank him for his leadership and for holding this tonight. Mr. Speaker, every day, I hear stories from folks all across my district in the First Congressional District of Georgia, in southeast Georgia, who have been forced to choose. They have been forced to choose between paying their monthly insurance premium or buying other essentials for their families. I want to give you an example of someone who I am talking about--a real life example, someone who has experienced this. Consider the case of Bob Joiner. Bob Joiner is an independent adviser in south Georgia. His wife, Kim, is an audiologist who works in a small practice that does not provide healthcare benefits. Bob and Kim exercise regularly. They watch their nutrition. They are fortunate to have no health problems. They also have a 28-year-old son, Wesley. In 2016, Bob's monthly healthcare premium increased 134 percent, and his son's healthcare insurance climbed to an astonishing 190 percent. In total, their 2016 annual premiums were $4,285 for their son Wesley, and for them it was $19,026. The Joiners should have been hopeful that in 2017 they could change their plan for something more affordable. But thanks to ObamaCare, that wasn't the case.…”