On the recordFebruary 7, 2017
I rise this afternoon because I am appalled by President Trump and my Republican colleagues' attacks on the health of Americans. My Republican colleagues have spent 6 years disparaging the Affordable Care Act from its very inception, describing it as a ``death spiral,'' ``failure,'' and ``collapsing,'' but zero time offering up any viable alternative. After 6 years of hollow grandstanding, Republicans now face the clear realization that repealing the Affordable Care Act will dump massive costs on families and businesses, blow a hole in the Federal budget, and strip coverage for more than 30 million Americans. New Jersey has been a positive example of ACA implementation. Since enactment, Medicaid expansion through ACA has insured more than 700,000 middle-income New Jersey residents who couldn't previously afford it. The uninsured rate in New Jersey dropped from 13.2 percent in 2013 to 8.7 percent in 2015. Mr. Speaker, these are positive trends, but President Trump and Republicans in Washington callously disregard these facts so they can live up to their reckless promises. I hope that they will see the wisdom in their mistake and make sure that we keep all Americans healthy. ____________________
