Fairness for American Families Act

Floor Speech

Ms. CLARKE. Mr. Speaker, I oppose H.R. 2668 the Fairness for American Families Act; which would seek to delay until 2015 the requirement that individuals maintain minimal essential health care coverage.

Once again, for the 38th time, Republicans are voting to repeal parts of the Affordable Care Act.

The individual responsibility requirement under the Affordable Care Act, which calls for purchasing coverage or paying a penalty, covers only those who have access to affordable coverage. If an individual does not have access to coverage with premiums that are 8 percent or less of their income, the individual is exempt.

Individuals are also exempt if their income is so low they do not have to file a federal tax return; or if they qualify for an exemption
based on hardship, religious beliefs, and certain other factors; or they spend less than three consecutive months without coverage.

Therefore, the Republicans' disingenuous concern that Americans will be punished if they are unable to afford coverage is simply not true!

The Affordable Care Act's individual responsibility provision is a critical component of the additional patient protections and reforms that go into effect in 2014. Health experts have determined that if, beginning in 2014, insurers can no longer deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions and can no longer charge them higher premiums, premiums in health insurance marketplaces would rise sharply unless all Americans with access to affordable insurance either purchase it or pay a penalty.

This is yet another attempt to obstruct and undermine the successful implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

The result of this bill's delay of the individual responsibility provision would be to limit access to affordable coverage for millions of Americans and thereby, weaken one of the primary premises of the Affordable Care Act.

Don't fall for this trick! I ask my colleagues to stand in with me in solidarity and vote no on this bill.

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