On the recordJuly 24, 2018
I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Roskam) for yielding me time, and I thank another gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis) for introducing this legislation. The Equitable Access to Care and Health Act is a bill that I strongly support. It expands the religious conscience exemption in the Affordable Care Act. The bipartisan legislation has broad support in the House and in the Senate. It has passed the House by voice vote in the last two Congresses. The ACA currently provides for a religious conscience exemption, but the exemption is unduly narrow and applies only to a few faiths. This exemption should be expanded to accommodate other religions whose sincerely-held religious beliefs could cause them not to purchase healthcare insurance. With the recent repeal of the individual mandate, the CBO now estimates that the bill will result in about $30 million in cost savings. I hope my colleagues will support this piece of legislation. It will help advance the cause of religious freedom.
