Nomination of Roy K.J. Williams to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development

Floor Speech

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Mrs. FISCHER. Madam President, I rise to give voice to the thousands of Nebraskans who have contacted my office and continue to contact my office with their concerns about health care.

In 2009 the President made all the Americans a promise. He said:

No matter how we reform health care, we will make this promise to the American people: If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor, period.

Five years later, it is becoming clear that the President's assurance won't hold true. Many of the millions of Americans who were forced to sign up for ObamaCare-approved health plans are now having trouble finding a doctor or hospital they like that will accept their new insurance.

On May 12 the New York Times reported:

In the midst of all the turmoil in health care these days, one thing is becoming clear: No matter what kind of health plan consumers choose, they will find fewer doctors and hospitals in their network--or pay much more for the privilege of going to any provider they want.

Despite higher rates, new ObamaCare plans include fewer in-network doctors and hospitals than the older health care plans. This diminished access to health care is a serious problem for Americans who live in rural areas with fewer primary care physicians, forcing some people to drive hours just to see a doctor who will accept their insurance.

I have received letters, emails, and phone calls from over 18,000 Nebraskans who keep saying the same thing: The promises of ObamaCare are not being kept.

For example, Karen and her husband from Kearney essentially lost the doctors they had and liked when they received a notice in the mail indicating that the health care providers they have relied on for years will no longer accept this new insurance.

Here is another example my office received. Douglas, another constituent from Kearney, wrote:

ObamaCare has done one thing, and one thing only, it has threatened my wife and the life of my son.

He goes on to say:

Because of age, and the ACA, my son's doctors retired or quit practicing, and also because of my son becoming an adult, we had to find new doctors. We haven't been denied insurance, but we have been denied doctors. We ended up begging and pleading with doctors to care for my son. [We were] turned down by nine or ten.

I offered a commonsense proposal called the FAIR Act. It would delay the tax on the uninsured anytime the employer mandate is delayed. ObamaCare is picking winners and losers. The big and powerful get help while the vast majority of Nebraskans and millions of Americans are left behind. My bill will level the playing field, giving all Americans that ``fair shot.'' I hope we have the opportunity to debate and vote on my commonsense bill here in the Senate.

I thank the Presiding Officer and yield the floor.

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