Sheila Jackson Lee: “This is what we are confronting. These are not numbers that anyone would print just to create hysteria. These are…”

“This is what we are confronting. These are not numbers that anyone would print just to create hysteria. These are truthful numbers. Now, let me answer the question. The critics keep saying that we are crumbling. I said to you the President said: crash and burn. That is not the case, that insurers appear to be fleeing the Affordable Care Act's health insurance exchanges or State-based, online marketplaces where people can buy individual health insurance. The fact that one-third of counties are projected to have just one insurer on their ObamaCare exchanges this year has been a popular talking point among Republicans, including President Trump, trying to gain or gin up support to replace the Affordable Care Act. The stat was echoed in a recent editorial by Tom Price. Though some insurers are still deciding whether to participate in ObamaCare exchange, the complaint about lackluster insurer participation is valid. In recent weeks alone, Aetna pulled out, leaving its participation in ObamaCare limited. But the real issue is that we have been strangling these insurance companies. They leave out that the insurers might be less likely to exit if more States had expanded Medicaid under ObamaCare. Mr.…”