I am pleased to rise and support, enthusiastically, H.R. 987, the Strengthening Health Care and Lowering Prescription Drug Costs Act. This omnibus bill combines three key bills to lower drug costs by promoting generic competition--long overdue--and four key bills to strengthen healthcare, reverse the GOP sabotage, and rescind the Trump administration's devastating junk plan rule. I know full well what happens when individuals are impacted by junk plans, and they don't have the courage they need. I encourage my good friends on the other side of the aisle to drop politics and join with us to pass this legislation. This omnibus bill invests most of the savings of $13.8 billion created by its cracking down on junk plans into strengthening healthcare, which will fund about 500,000 additional enrollees into non-group coverage and Medicaid. Let me say to you, in 2017, due to the direct interference by the Trump administration, the number of uninsured people increased by 700,000, the first increase since implementation of the Affordable Care Act. I know full well that Texas, which is the number one State in the number of uninsured, is experiencing the devastation of not having the expanded Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act at its fullest. We had a roundtable discussion with people who experience diabetes. Insulin is going through the roof. These people are suffering.…
Share
More from Sheila Jackson Lee
Let me say, Mr. Speaker, as I close, we must be responsible-- The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman is no longer recognized. Members are reminded to direct their remarks to the Chair.
Let me pay tribute to the Congressional Black Caucus and the managers tonight for honoring Black History Month. I look forward to participating this month of February to honor the great history and excellence of African Americans. At this…
I thank the graciousness of Ms. Kaptur for this time. I honor, in this month, Women's History Month, and salute the many women who have invested in the lives of so many. I honor the teachers who have taught young people. I honor Ivalita…
I thank the distinguished ranking member of the full Financial Services Committee for yielding, and I thank the chairman of the full committee as well for giving me the opportunity to raise concerns and to say that we all stand with our…





