Political Quotes

“I rise to speak about the ongoing debate in the body concerning the next chapter in healthcare and what we can do about it together and, especially, to address one part of the healthcare market--the individual market. As most know--and this has been an item about which we are deep into discussions, the people and the Members of this body--before the passage of the Affordable Care Act, Americans with preexisting conditions faced unfair barriers to accessing health insurance coverage, and healthcare costs had risen rapidly. Prior to the passage of the Affordable Care Act, my own family, which is probably like the healthiest family in America because the five of us have only had three hospitalizations for three childbirths--all for my wife--we had twice been turned down for insurance coverage for at least one member of our family because of preexisting conditions. Since 2010, the rate of uninsured Americans has declined to a historic low. More than 20 million Americans have gained access to health insurance coverage--many for the first time in their lives. In Virginia, over 410,000 Virginians have accessed care on the individual marketplace and another 400,000 would be eligible if Virginia decided to expand Medicaid. Many Virginians use the individual market, and they have shared their stories with me on my website. I have on my Senate website ``ACA Stories,'' where I encourage people to share their stories.…”