Tom Rice: “We stand here today with another in a series of weekly messaging bills. I wonder what, next week, we will deal with. I…”

“We stand here today with another in a series of weekly messaging bills. I wonder what, next week, we will deal with. I am sure it will be another whipsaw response to the headlines of the day. If you truly want to protect people with preexisting conditions, as Republicans do, bring forth Mr. Walden's bill. It has teeth. In the event that this lawsuit is upheld and the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional, it will protect people with preexisting conditions. The Speaker, Ms. Pelosi, a minute ago said that the Republicans' position on healthcare was a joke. Well, I will tell you what is a joke, and that is to call the Affordable Care Act successful. The promises on which the Affordable Care Act were based were that we would cover all Americans; that the premiums would go down; that if you like your doctor, you could keep your doctor; and that if you like your insurance policy, you could keep it. Clearly, almost every existing insurance policy was declared invalid. You could only keep your doctor if he is in your plan and your hospital. Premiums have gone from an average of $225 in 2013, just before the Affordable Care Act was enacted, to $475, average cost for an individual policy today, almost a 250 percent increase. What did we get for that? Before the Affordable Care Act, 85 percent of Americans were covered. Before the Affordable Care Act, 85 percent of Americans were covered.…”