On the recordMay 4, 2017
So you have been working on it for 6 years. My information is that you posted this bill at 8 last night. The Congressional Budget Office has not given it a score. They have not told the American people how much it is going to cost or how many people it is going to affect. You have skyrocketed premiums for hardworking Americans who have preexisting conditions, and that is what my colleagues need to understand. If you are an average 40-year-old adult with a preexisting condition and have diabetes, it is estimated your premiums will rise $400 a month. If you have rheumatoid arthritis, $800 a month. And heaven forbid if you have some preexisting condition involving cancer; the numbers just go off of the chart. You know and I know this bill will not see the light of day in the Senate. This is a political stunt to save face with your rightwing base. You know it and we know it. If this wasn't so serious, affecting the economy and the affordability of insurance, I would say just go on and do it, because you will lose your opportunity to serve in this House and you will ultimately lose the majority. Don't do it. Forget about politics. Think about the 24 million Americans who will not be able to afford health insurance coverage. That is why the American Medical Association, AARP, American Nurses Association, and all of the other stakeholder groups have pleaded with you. They have called your office. They have written you letters. They have written us letters. Don't do it.…
