Sheila Jackson Lee: “I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for yielding, and I thank her for her leadership. Madam Speaker, the American…”

“I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for yielding, and I thank her for her leadership. Madam Speaker, the American people will insist that this legislation passes. My Republican friends, since my time in helping to pass the Affordable Care Act, have never offered a plan to ensure that America's wonderful citizens have good healthcare and that those with preexisting conditions, such as many of us, including myself and many of my constituents in Houston, Texas, are able to access healthcare. Let me be clear on what this legislation does, as I thank Representative Kuster for her leadership. H.R. 986, of which I am strongly in support of, is a saving grace. What it does is it stops the Trump administration in their tracks from watering down an opportunity of flexibility, section 1332. Here is what is going to happen if we do not pass this legislation: We will stop the coverage of preexisting conditions, period; There will be no protections; You will see a rise in costs in healthcare; Short-term plans will be thrown to the people and other plans that will destabilize the risk pool; It will limit access to comprehensive coverage because the Trump guidance says: Just give access and don't worry about if the plan even allows you to be admitted into a hospital; And finally, it will reduce benefits like maternity coverage, mental healthcare, and coverage of prescription drugs. Is that what Americans want?…”