Affordable Health Care For America Act

Floor Speech

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 3962. I came to Congress this past January following 28 years in nonprofit health care. In January, the Democratic majority quickly moved the SCHIP reauthorization. I supported the final passage of the bill. SCHIP was modeled after Pennsylvania's CHIP program, a bipartisan public-private partnership to offer private insurance to my State's most vulnerable population. CHIP works in Pennsylvania.

Mr. Speaker, I am dismayed to learn that this bill will scrap the SCHIP program. This will jeopardize coverage and increase costs for scores of Pennsylvania's needy children. Families who rely on Pennsylvania's CHIP program will faces higher costs when their children are forced into plans offered through the exchange. We have heard from my colleagues about cuts to our seniors, small businesses, family farms, and agriculture. Now you are hearing about the cost to our children.

As a health professional, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this measure, and I would like to submit a letter from five of my Republican colleagues from Pennsylvania on this issue.

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