So-Called Affordable Care Act

Floor Speech

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, Americans want and need greater access to health care, and they deserve reforms that will lower costs and expand access, but without undermining quality and innovation.

These were the promises of the President's health care reform law. They were worthy goals. Unfortunately, they are not reality.

To the contrary, over the past 3 years, families and businesses have seen a 400 percent premium increase for health care. Patients are being denied coverage that physicians will not accept. Employers have slowed hiring under new costs and the fear of what is ahead.

This Congress has rescinded funding for or completely repealed eight separate provisions of ObamaCare. Key provisions of the act are beginning to collapse under the weight of their own irreparable flaws. And even my Democratic colleagues have warned of the law's looming ``train wreck.''

Mr. Speaker, the American people deserve better. Full repeal of this flawed policy is the first step to enacting commonsense reforms to actually lower costs and expand access. Only then can we enact a law that can be truly called the ``Affordable Care Act.''

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