Debbie Dingell: “I rise against the conference report. I urge my colleagues to vote it down. This might be called a Christmas Carol. The…”

“I rise against the conference report. I urge my colleagues to vote it down. This might be called a Christmas Carol. The Republicans give tax cuts to every Ebeneezer Scrooge and his friends, and they raise the costs to the Cratchit family and take medical care away from Tiny Tim. There is no way to hide the fact that these cuts hurt beneficiaries. Cuts in the Medicare program come directly from the families who depend on them, by raising their payments, making health care unaffordable, or by not paying for needed treatments when those families seek care. Millions of children will lose medically necessary benefits and face increases in the amount that their parents have to pay for them to go to the doctor. Because this conference report allows, in fact it almost requires States to charge families four times more today than they do to see their doctor at this time, we know this size increase will force people to forgo needed care. Millions of families will seek cuts in important services in mental health, physical and rehabilitation therapies, dental and vision benefits. What good can come from allowing States to deny eyeglasses to children who cannot see in school or hearing assistance to children who cannot hear. One in nine children with special health care needs are those who reside in military families and rely on Medicaid for supplemental health care jeopardized by this bill.…”