Congressional Record—House H380
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H380 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE January 11, 2017 my remaining eyesight and renal func- 2009, and not one of us was asked one icaid, which is a system that needs to tion should never be less important thing about that healthcare bill. Not be reformed, and allowed 26-year-olds than anything in politics. And while I one Republican amendment to that bill to stay on their parents healthcare know that there are many, many peo- that would have made it better was plan. ple in this same boat, for today, while ruled in order. b 2000 I write this letter, it’s about my kids So it was passed on one-party rule, getting to keep their mom and about and now the Democrat party owns it. We also allow you to buy across me keeping the ability to see them Unfortunately, patients own it. And State lines with association health grow up. that is what I came here to do, was to plans, malpractice reforms, and trans- ‘‘I write because it needs to be said try to help people. parency. It is a very simple, patient- and needs to be heard and needs to be I had spent 31 years of my life in the centered bill. We have said this before, ACTED on. small town of Johnson City, Tennessee, our bill is open for amendment. If a ‘‘ . in the past I’ve paid a lot and practicing medicine and trying to do a Democrat has a good idea, I am open to had my share of insurance issues, but good job for patients that I saw every listen to it. The main thing is I want at least I could choose my own doctor. single day. patients and doctors to be in charge of At least in crisis (which I’ve had) I You have heard it many times before: their healthcare decisions. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the oppor- went straight to the doctor who knew If you liked your doctor, you can keep tunity to be here tonight, and I look me and my history and they could re- it. We are going to reduce your pre- forward to going into much more detail solve it without a referral and delay miums by $2,500. about the details of this particular bill. after delay after delay. The President also said that I will go Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, the bot- ‘‘HMO might work for some, but not over this bill line by line with anyone tom line to the American people is for those who don’t want one. who wants to. We asked to do that on this: it is time to return healthcare ‘‘I’m not asking for a hand-out. I am multiple occasions, and I am still wait- asking for reasonable choice of a basic choices to the American people. ing for my cell phone to ring. God bless and good night. PPO for which I have paid for in past So we have heard over and over and and am asking to have the option to Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance over again that the Republicans have of my time. pay for now. I’m not writing just to no ideas. Two Congresses ago we were f vent—I’m asking for some kind of solu- challenged and asked to write a Repub- tion to this train wreck of healthcare lican alternative to the Affordable PRESIDENT OBAMA’S LEGACY options or lack thereof. Care Act, and we did just that. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. ‘‘If President Obama thinks this is I want to show you out there to- FITZPATRICK). Under the Speaker’s an- actually working, he’s more blind than night—those of you who are watching— nounced policy of January 3, 2017, the me.’’ this is the bill right here. It is a 184- Chair recognizes the gentleman from Andrea, we have a plan to help you page bill. You can read it in an hour or Arizona (Mr. FRANKS) for 30 minutes. up. It is called A Better Way. How so or less than that. Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Speak- about this: Allow coverage across state I read the entire Affordable Care Act. er, one of the most important elements lines, expand opportunities for pooling, I felt like I should. I didn’t pass it and of this Republic is the ability of the make coverage portable, Medicare laws see what was in it. I actually read it people to understand and to remember reformed, and preexisting condition ahead of time. the public actions and record of those protections. We had healthcare reform in Ten- they elect. This is vital to government That is a better way. That is what nessee in the nineties called TennCare. accountability, to historical accuracy, the American people deserve. We will I wrote the epitaph on this bill with and to the future direction of the fu- keep fighting for Andrea and people MARSHA BLACKBURN in 2010, if anyone ture generations of this country. like her. So, Mr. Speaker, what follows is the Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, who bet- is interested in reading that. So what did we do with this bill? record and legacy of President Barack ter to close out our Special Order than With the Affordable Care Act, the Obama. a gentleman, a doctor who has em- Federal Government said: You will pur- Last night, Mr. Speaker, President ployed hundreds of people and has chase 10 essential health benefits or Barack Obama gave his farewell ad- worked with thousands of patients? dress to the Nation. In his speech, You may have heard the false nar- your insurance is no good. You have to President Obama praised American rative that, yes, we have contributed in get rid of it. exceptionalism for the very first time breaking the program, from the Demo- And this 10 essential health benefits since his Presidency began. Unfortu- crat’s perspective, and you guys need cost, in many cases, is a lot of money. Then what do we do? nately, Mr. Speaker, much of the re- to fix it, but you don’t have a plan. Well, that is a false narrative and We passed a tax, a mandate, a fine, a mainder of the President’s speech was penalty, whatever Judge Roberts de- here to tell you why is Dr. PHIL ROE. far removed from reality. I yield to the gentleman from Ten- cided he wanted to decide that it was, Mr. Obama implied that his Presi- nessee (Mr. ROE). or define it, I should say. But here we dency had increased trust and respect Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I are passing a mandate for people to for America. Yet, the truth is that stand here in the well of the House to- purchase something they can’t afford. I under Mr. Obama’s Presidency, the night remembering 8 years ago when I find that astonishing that you tax peo- trust and respect that both friend and stood here. I am the only one, other ple for something they cannot buy. foe alike previously had for America than PETE OLSON, that was here that So what our bill did was repeal the has been demonstrably diminished has spoken tonight. Affordable Care Act. It then massively across the world. Mr. Obama, in fact, I actually left my medical practice of expanded health savings accounts. weakened our economy and led the 31 years. I have been a physician—it is Look, there are Indian tribes out there most anemic military campaign in our hard to believe—46 years. I ran for Con- that use the Indian Health Service that history. So, Mr. Speaker, let us now re- gress because I wanted to be involved can’t have an HSA. There are disabled call the grand promise of candidate in the healthcare debate. I realize that veterans that can’t have an HSA. There Barack Obama, bedecked with Greek the American people needed healthcare are retired people that can’t have columns and the rhetoric of bipartisan reform. HSAs. We expanded that. I have used unity as it was, and let’s compare it to One of the most disappointing things them in my own practice for patients. the actual legacy of President Barack I have had since I have been in the U.S. I use one myself. Obama, the partisan heckler at home Congress was, when I showed up here, I We used high-risk pools, and we ex- and the lead from behind, apologize for naively thought that people cared what panded ERISA benefits to help offset America, academic abroad who was ev- I thought. I found out I was wrong preexisting conditions. Quite frankly, I ermore eager to force Catholic nuns to about that. think in two paragraphs I could have buy birth control than he was to fight We had nine physicians in the Doc- done two-thirds of what the Affordable the ruthless butchers of the Islamic tors Caucus on the Republican side in Care Act did, which is expand Med- State. VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:07 Jan 12, 2017 Jkt 069060 PO 00000 Frm 00078 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K11JA7.140 H11JAPT1 smartinez on DSK3GLQ082PROD with HOUSE January 11, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H381 Mr. Speaker, President Barack and over 8,000 violent crimes such as lamic State, the return of Iran, and the Obama has taken credit for a growing assault, rape, and murder. unspeakable desecration of thousands economy, but, after his failed stimulus, Mr.