Mike Collins: “I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the National…”

“I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the National Education Association in strong opposition to this bill. May 3, 2017. Hon. James P. McGovern, House of Representatives, House Office Building, Washington, DC. Dear Congressman McGovern: On behalf of our three million members and the 50 million students they serve, we strongly urge you to oppose H.R. 1628, the American Health Care Act as amended. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found that by 2026, the original bill would provide $883 billion in tax cuts while taking health coverage away from 24 million people, including some of the most vulnerable among us--the poor, the sick, the elderly, and the children who constitute more than half the current Medicaid enrollment. Votes on this issue may be included in NEA's Report Card for the 15th Congress. The April 25 amendment made the original bill even worse. It allows states to jettison existing essential health benefit requirements, thereby permitting health plans covering millions of people once again to exclude coverage for maternity and newborn care, pediatric dental and vision services, mental health and substance use services, and other crucial benefits. The May 3 amendment is the equivalent of a tiny bandage on a gaping wound.…”