Healthcare on the Chopping Block

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, the Graham-Cassidy bill is the worst version of TrumpCare yet.

By block granting healthcare, this bill puts healthcare on the chopping block. In order to make ends meet, States will have to change their eligibility criteria, meaning millions more left uninsured. They will have to cut certain benefits and expensive coverage like perhaps cancer treatment or that extra stay in the hospital. They will have to reduce reimbursements for hospitals, clinics, and doctors.

That is a big, disproportionate cut to those healthcare providers, especially in rural and underserved communities. This means that millions more will be uninsured and hardworking families will be forced to pay more out of pocket for healthcare.

This also means that patients with preexisting conditions will be priced out of their healthcare and pay more out of pocket for higher premiums and higher deductibles. They will have to pay for needed care that will no longer be guaranteed coverage under essential healthcare benefits. Furthermore, older Americans will be faced with paying higher premiums under the bill's age tax.

We cannot let this bill become law. We cannot allow patients, families, seniors, and those who have diabetes and chronic illnesses like asthma, COPD, or obesity to be left to fend for themselves. That is not the America that we know. That is not the values that we share.

We don't believe that healthcare is a commodity only for those that can afford it. Those who can't afford healthcare will have to fend for themselves, simply because they can't afford it. We believe that we all have a responsibility for health as a common good, with a social responsibility to make sure that our neighbors and our communities are well, that our neighbors' kids are free from infections that can spread to other kids. That is why we have strong vaccination programs.

Health is, fundamentally, a human right. The rest of the world sees it that way, so why not America, the leaders of our globe. We must and we can do better.

To my Republican colleagues, I know that passing a bill is important politically because you campaigned on this for the past 8 years. I understand that you have a lot of pressures from donors. Just think about patients. Do the right thing. Put politics aside.

Let's heed the words of Senator McCain. Let's come back to regular order. Let's figure out what we can do together to fix and improve on the Affordable Care Act to bring down premiums and bring down the cost of healthcare and medicines and make sure that we expand coverage to more people and not take away coverage for millions of people.

Let's put people above partisanship. Let's put solutions above ideology. Let's do the right thing. Let's come together and help pragmatically improve healthcare for millions of Americans.

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