Statement From Representative Hochul On The Vote To Repeal The Affordable Care Act

Statement

The following is a statement from Representative Kathy Hochul (NY-26) after she voted against a bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act:

"Like many Western New Yorkers, I am of the belief that government is rarely the answer to our nation's problems. And certainly, the Affordable Care Act is far from a perfect solution to the rising costs of health care. That is why I have worked with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to repeal the financially unsustainable CLASS Act and to eliminate an unelected Independent Payment Advisory Board with the power to ration health care for our seniors. It is also why I recently voted to roll back the medical device tax, which stifles innovation and limits job growth for American manufacturers."

"However, today I voted against the repeal of the Affordable Care Act because House leadership offered no alternative other than to return our country to a broken, unsustainable health care system under the rigid control of the insurance industry. While I believe the law must be improved to better address the rising cost of care, full repeal, absent of any alternative, would allow insurance companies to deny coverage to 1.1 million individuals in Western New York who live with pre-existing conditions. It would eliminate preventative care services like immunizations, mammograms, and other cancer screenings for 480,000 people in our region, and it would require 42,000 Western New York seniors to pay on average $655 more out of pocket for their prescriptions drugs each year."

"Congress has a responsibility to fix the health care law and move our country forward. However, we won't find solutions by simply running away from our problems. I stand ready to work with Democrats and Republicans to improve the law to expand access for our children and seniors, protect small businesses, and ultimately reduce the cost of health care in this country."

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