John Tierney: “Today is an opportunity for this body to stand up for middle class families and small businesses. Today, by passing this…”

“Today is an opportunity for this body to stand up for middle class families and small businesses. Today, by passing this bill, no family will have to worry that their 20-something-year-old child will have a serious condition and not be covered or ever be refused coverage in their lifetime due to a preexisting condition. Insurance companies will no longer be able to limit coverage annually or over a lifetime just when serious conditions require care. They won't be able to rescind coverage in the middle of cancer or diabetes care, and they will have to spend a reasonable portion of premium dollars on actual health services. We will be able to see our seniors affording both their groceries and their prescription medicines because we will close the so-called doughnut hole in their current coverage, and we will extend the life of Medicare for 9 years even as we improve its coverage. Small business employers and employees will be better able to afford health care and will pay less in administrative costs while having the choices large companies and Federal employees have now. All this, Mr. Speaker, and we will be making the largest pay-down on the Federal deficit in quite some time, reducing our debt by over $1 trillion in the next two decades. No bill is perfect, but this bill is an enormous improvement of the status quo.”