On the recordMarch 21, 2012
I thank the gentlewoman from New York for yielding time. I'm proud to stand with her and with other Democratic Members in support of women's access to comprehensive, affordable health care, access that was greatly expanded by the Affordable Care Act which passed 2 years ago this week and which my Republican colleagues want to repeal. Thanks to health care reform, over 13 million previously uninsured women will gain access to health insurance. Thanks to health reform, insurance companies will no longer be allowed to discriminate against women by charging them higher premiums than men for the same exact policy or by denying them coverage altogether simply because they are women. Thanks to health care reform, millions of women with private insurance will no longer have to pay for preventive services like mammograms, cervical cancer screening, contraception, and a host of other services. As a dad of three daughters, as a grandfather of two granddaughters, and as a great grandfather of one great granddaughter, I am glad we did that. And thanks to the Affordable Care Act, preventive services are already free for Medicare beneficiaries. If I had the time, I'd say the other benefits of this bill that we ought to keep, and I will not join my friend from New Hampshire in trying to repeal a provision of this act. ____________________
