On the recordJanuary 13, 2017
I rise in strong opposition to this resolution. Mr. Chairman, if Republicans go forward with this plan to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, 30 million Americans will lose health insurance. In New York State alone, 1.6 million of our neighbors--who gained coverage through ACA--will lose their health insurance and will see their health insurance taken away, and 2.7 million New Yorkers who have enrolled in Medicaid could lose coverage. But this is not just about Medicaid, and it is not just about who obtained coverage through the exchanges. This is about the young person just out of college who can stay on their parents' insurance until they turn 26, giving them time to secure employment and coverage on their own. It is about patients with preexisting conditions who, until the ACA, were blocked from securing quality medical insurance. It is about women who have faced gender discrimination in the insurance market. These are the people Republicans will harm with their irresponsible attack on our healthcare system. Now, let me also note this: the Republican slogan, repeal and replace, is a sham. What are they going to replace the ACA with? They have never, not once, put together a realistic, defensible plan to replace the ACA. Their plan should be called repeal and displace because it will displace millions of Americans from their health coverage. Reject repeal and displace. Vote ``no'' on this bill.
