Yvette Clarke: “I thank our chairman for yielding the time. I thank Congresswoman Kuster for her leadership. As vice chair of the…”

“I thank our chairman for yielding the time. I thank Congresswoman Kuster for her leadership. As vice chair of the Committee on Energy and Commerce and cosponsor of H.R. 986, I am proud to stand with my colleagues in support of the Protecting Americans with Preexisting Conditions Act of 2019. Healthcare is a right. In the 21st century, everyone must have the right to the best quality and affordable healthcare insurance when they need it most. This human right must not be only limited to healthy individuals, but, rather, the human right to healthcare must be available to every American who has ever been ill at any time or is born with a preexisting condition. No American should be penalized for a medical condition that started before the individual's healthcare coverage benefits went into effect. Passage of the Protecting Americans with Preexisting Conditions Act would rescind the 1332 guidance issued by the Trump administration, which weakens coverage and undermines the Affordable Care Act's protections for people with preexisting conditions. Our friends on the other side of the aisle made more than 70 failed attempts to replace and repeal the Affordable Care Act between 2011 and 2017. Mr. Chair, we must do the right thing and enact legislation that strengthens the standards of quality healthcare, affordability, comprehensiveness, and coverage. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 986.”