On the recordMarch 24, 2017
This never needed to be an ideological fist fight. Democrats were always willing to take into account serious and constructive alternatives to the law that we have today that make it better, to make it affordable, more affordable for the American people. But this bill is a blatant takeaway from the American people of money and protection. If you are 50 to 64 years old, you get clobbered. If you are 64 years old, you make $26,000 a year, according to the Republican-led Congressional Budget Office, your premiums go from $1,700 a year to $14,000 a year. Fact: UnitedHealthcare is one of the largest private health insurers in America. Fact: UnitedHealthcare will have $200 billion in revenues this year, and they paid their chief executive officer $66 million in compensation in 2014. Fact: UnitedHealthcare is under investigation today by the Department of Justice for stealing billions of dollars from the Medicare program. Fact: The Republican health bill, on page 67, in 7 words, gives UnitedHealthcare, their high-paid executives, and all of their cronies, a massive tax cut to continue to screw the American people. Mr. Speaker, we can do much better. We are prepared to do much better. But this is a financial assault on good, hardworking Americans who want to do one thing at the end of the day, after paying too much money for health care throughout the year, and that is, when they need their health care, it is available to them and their family.
