Repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. MOOLENAAR. Mr. Speaker, this is my first speech on the House
floor, and today I am here speaking because we are voting to repeal the
unpopular and unaffordable Affordable Care Act.

Our Nation has over $18 trillion in debt, and this law adds to it by
spending more money we don't have. The cost of coverage subsidies alone
is expected to quadruple over the next 10 years, according to the CBO.

The Federal Government is picking up the tab for Medicaid expansion,
and it will eventually pass the enormous financial burden on to State
budgets. In the last decade alone, Michigan has gone from one in eight
residents enrolled in Medicaid to approaching one in four enrolled in
this unsustainable government program.

What is more, this law has the effect of throwing a wet blanket on
the economy. Small business owners say rising health insurance costs
are their biggest concern, and the health insurance tax costs them $688
per employee. School districts have cut the hours of part-time
employees, and businesses can't afford to hire more employees because
of the costs of mandated coverage. We have even seen colleges and
universities cut back hours for student workers, and now they earn less
money to pay for their classes.

Individuals, families, and businesses all face continuing uncertainty
over health care coverage and its costs. The administration, alone, has
made 28 changes to the law, including delaying mandates, changing
verification requirements, pushing back enrollment dates because the
Web site wasn't ready, and expanding waivers to deal with the
cancelation of millions of health care plans.

Five years after it was signed, the President's health care law is
still changing, and last November the Department of Health and Human
Services proposed 35 more revisions. It is time to permanently repeal
the excessive spending, the economic pain, and the continuing
uncertainty caused by this law and replace it with patient-centered
alternatives with lower premiums that allow individuals to choose the
coverage they want. It is time to empower patients to take control of
their health care choices.

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