Affordable Health Care For America Act
Floor Speech
Affordable Health Care For America Act
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Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise at this historic moment in support of the Affordable Health Care for America Act. None of us will again have such an opportunity in our time serving in the United States Congress to do something so enduring and fulfilling, to make sure that every American shall have access to quality, affordable health insurance.
For more than a century, the special interests have won this moment. Presidents Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy, Nixon, and Clinton have spoken of our country's aspiration, but only now have we come so far.
When the Democrats and the Congress passed Medicare, we lifted seniors out of poverty forever, and now we get to say to working Americans, You can no longer be broken by a health insurance system that drops you when you are sick or lose a job.
It says to women, You will no longer be denied coverage on account of a C-section or domestic violence. No longer will maternity or preventive care be ignored.
I urge my colleagues to vote for history and for America today. This is why we are here.
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Ms. DeLAURO. This amendment undermines the thoughtfully crafted and balanced language in the bill that already prohibits Federal funds from being used to pay for abortion. It attempts an unprecedented overreach of women's basic rights and freedoms in this country.
Abortion is a matter of conscience on both sides of the debate, and it goes to the very heart of our belief as citizens and as legislators. This amendment takes away that same freedom of conscience from America's women. It prohibits them from access to an abortion even if they pay for it with their own money. It invades women's personal decisions, discriminates against working women, and, put simply, violates the law of the land.
Access to quality, affordable health care coverage is a question of life or death for millions of Americans. We should not be injecting this divisive and polarizing issue into our debate.
The best vote for life we could make today would be to pass the critical reforms American families have asked for and desperately need.
I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment.
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