State Health Care Premium Reduction Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCHNEIDER. Madam Speaker, I am proud to rise in strong support of H.R. 1425, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act.

Our country is in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic requiring unprecedented actions, like the HEROES Act the House sent to the Senate more than 6 weeks ago. Beating back this virus will test us in unimaginable ways, and we cannot afford to allow petty politics to push us backward.

Sadly, inconceivably, that is exactly what the Trump administration asked from the Supreme Court last week when they argued to fully overturn the Affordable Care Act.

With more than 2.5 million infections, and more than 125,000 lives tragically lost, we need to expand access to affordable healthcare; lower the cost of prescription drugs; and improve outcomes for those hardest hit, especially in communities of color and rural communities.

Madam Speaker, the end of the Affordable Care Act and other actions previously announced by this administration, with no plan of their own, will instead leave millions of Americans at risk of losing their insurance. It will result in higher premiums for millions of individuals and small businesses.

Remember this: The 130,000 of us with preexisting conditions, including those who have been infected with COVID-19, will pay the heaviest price.

Madam Speaker, the Affordable Care Act is essential to ensuring Americans have access to affordable and quality healthcare. It is still under attack by our President and his allies.

Today, I and my colleagues demonstrate our commitment to protecting it. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act will strengthen the ACA by strengthening protections for those with preexisting conditions. It will ensure that no one pays more than 8.5 percent of their income for quality coverage. It will allow negotiations for lower drug costs. It will help address the inequalities in healthcare faced by so many in our country, especially communities of color.

Madam Speaker, this is the kind of bill that should receive bipartisan support in the middle of a historic pandemic, and I urge my colleagues to vote for it.

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