Michael Burgess: “House Resolution 893 provides for consideration of H.R. 954, the CO-OP Consumer Protection Act of 2016. The rule…”

“House Resolution 893 provides for consideration of H.R. 954, the CO-OP Consumer Protection Act of 2016. The rule provides 1 hour of debate, equally divided among the majority and minority of the Committee on Ways and Means. As is standard with all legislation pertaining to the Tax Code, the Committee on Rules made no further amendments in order; however, the rule affords the minority the customary motion to recommit. Under the rule, we will be considering a bill to prevent a tax increase imposed on the American people by the Affordable Care Act. This will affect many Americans through no fault of their own and due to circumstances beyond their control. The bill advanced through regular order and was reported favorably out of the Committee on Ways and Means on a voice vote earlier this month. The Affordable Care Act established a program to provide taxpayer- funded loans for Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan program, better known as the CO-OP program. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services funded 24 CO-OPs in 23 States. Of those 24 CO-OPs, 1 failed before it ever enrolled a single individual, and just 6 remain open today. The 17 failed CO-OPs received over $1.8 billion in taxpayer funds and, to date, none of those CO-OPs has paid back any of those loans. In addition to wasting billions of taxpayer dollars, the CO-OPs have created instability and hardship for hundreds of thousands of individuals who relied on CO-OPs for insurance coverage.…”