On the recordJanuary 10, 2014
We are in a new year, and a new session. The Affordable Care Act is the law of the land, and we should find a way to move past this empty, meaningless bickering. I will vote against H.R. 3811 because this bill is a diversion tactic by the Republicans, designed to scare Americans away from obtaining affordable health coverage and further undermines confidence in Government. This bill serves no useful purpose. The mere fact that this bill is only directed at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and no other agency that handles personally identifiable information, demonstrates that Republicans are only attacking the Affordable Care Act for political purposes; not to make it work better to give Americans the health care they are entitled to under the law. Not only is this bill a waste of time, but it detracts from the real work we need to do to strengthen our health care system. If my colleagues were serious about improving the Affordable Care Act, we'd welcome that discussion, but to date the only interest they have is frightening Americans away from a law that would provide the affordable, accessible health coverage to those who need it most. Just this week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that the increase in overall health care costs for the last four years is the lowest we've ever recorded in part as a result of the reforms taking place.…





