Repeal of Obamacare Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Madam Speaker, when I first ran for Congress in 1992, I pledged to my constituents that I would use the political process to improve the lives of people and communities of the Second Congressional District of Georgia. For this reason, I supported the Affordable Care Act in 2010 because I believed that it would make a significant difference in making health care more affordable and more accessible.

I still believe in the effectiveness of the law more than two years after its enactment. In fact, it is needed now more than ever. My District has high rates of diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and obesity. Many of my constituents cannot get health insurance because they have reached their lifetime limit or they have a pre-existing condition. I also have heard from seniors who cannot afford their prescription drugs because they have fallen into Medicare's ``donut hole,'' small businesses owners who find the cost of health insurance to be too high, and residents of rural communities who must travel long distances to find a doctor.

They deserve better. We all do.

Repealing the Affordable Care Act would be a significant setback for these Georgians as well as the entire nation. According to a Washington Post editorial Tuesday, since the health reform law was enacted, increases in national health expenditures have slowed, saving Americans more than $220 billion. In Georgia alone, the closure of the ``donut hole'' in coverage to date has saved Medicare recipients over $13 million. Already over three million residents are free from worrying about lifetime limits on coverage. The law's insurance reforms, which already have taken effect, will allow 123,000 young Georgians stay on their parents' plan until age 26 and ensure the protection of over 26 million children nationwide with pre-existing conditions.

Now that it has been upheld by the United States Supreme Court, we must work together to ensure that the Affordable Care Act remains the law of land so that America can be a healthier, more prosperous, and more just nation.

What I said two years ago still holds true today. As a man of faith, I know that Jesus taught us to provide and care for others, especially the ``least of these,'' or those that have few advocates. I believe He would take care of this immediate need of the people and not let them fend for themselves. This law goes a long way toward living up to this moral principle, and I urge my colleagues to oppose its repeal.

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