E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 115 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 163 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28, 2017 No. 111 House of Representatives The House met at 10 a.m. and was conditions. We made sure that people surer on the individual market for next called to order by the Speaker pro tem- with preexisting conditions can buy year. She has no options to buy health pore (Mr. BOST). health insurance that is reasonably insurance next year. She called me up f priced, similar to people who have no and said: I don’t know what I am going preexisting conditions, but then we to do. DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO kicked in billions of dollars to sub- I didn’t have a good answer for her. TEMPORE sidize those premiums to help those That is why we need to get this done. The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- people be in the insurance market be- Prior to ObamaCare—I don’t know if fore the House the following commu- cause I think it is important that those a lot of people realize this—when I was nication from the Speaker: people are in the insurance market and a self-employed farmer, I bought my WASHINGTON, DC, have access to insurance that is afford- health insurance through association June 28, 2017. able. plans. ObamaCare did away with asso- I hereby appoint the Honorable MIKE BOST I think it is really un-American to ciation plans and forced people onto to act as Speaker pro tempore on this day. pull the rug out from people because PAUL D. RYAN, the exchanges and mandated what kind Speaker of the House of Representatives. they got sick. of coverage you had to buy. ObamaCare is imploding. In Ohio— f Ironically, as a Member of Congress, and this is from the Health and Human I am required to be on ObamaCare, and MORNING-HOUR DEBATE Services Agency—ObamaCare in Ohio, I am. But the ironic thing is, next year, The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- since 2013, premiums have increased 86 if things don’t change—and I was ant to the order of the House of Janu- percent. We had almost 236,000 families forced to be on the D.C. exchange, but ary 3, 2017, the Chair will now recog- pay almost $44 million in penalties be- if I was forced to be on my county ex- nize Members from lists submitted by cause they couldn’t afford their health change back where I live, my county the majority and minority leaders for insurance. does not have a health insurer in the morning-hour debate. Then there is also a myth out there individual market next year. I think it The Chair will alternate recognition that the price is going through the is ironic as a Member of Congress, if I between the parties. All time shall be roof, it is collapsing because of the cur- wasn’t on the D.C. exchange, I wouldn’t equally allocated between the parties, rent administration. Well, if you look be able to buy insurance through my and in no event shall debate continue at the facts, the average premium sky- exchange back home because it will beyond 11:50 a.m. Each Member, other rocketed by nearly $3,000 across the not be available. country during the previous adminis- than the majority and minority leaders How do we fix this? tration’s final term. Eighty-three in- and the minority whip, shall be limited I think we have to incorporate free- to 5 minutes. surers left the market, and the average exchange premium spiked 25 percent market principles. We have to get the f last year alone. Americans living in cost down, and then the market will PROVIDING HEALTH INSURANCE roughly one-third of our Nation’s coun- work. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The ties have only one option of healthcare How do we get the cost down? Chair recognizes the gentleman from coverage precisely because this law has We have to have price discovery, and Ohio (Mr. GIBBS) for 5 minutes. continued to fail. All this has occurred how you get that is through competi- Mr. GIBBS. Mr. Speaker, I am dis- prior to the current administration. tion. I think health savings accounts is appointed to hear that the Senate will Mr. Speaker, I got a phone call last one way you will get competition and not be able to take up the healthcare night from a lady whom I have known personal responsibility. People will bill this week, but this is a tough issue. for over 30 years. She is self-employed, shop around on a nonemergency-type It is a tough issue because, at least on running a service-type business, and basis, and it will help drive the cost my side of the aisle, we want to do the she was struggling to pay for her down. right thing. We want to make sure that healthcare under the ObamaCare ex- ObamaCare did away with health sav- people can buy health insurance that is changes. She has prayed these last few ings accounts. affordable and accessible, and not pull years that she wouldn’t get sick be- Also, tort reform. We need to make the rug out from under people who cause she wouldn’t be able to meet the sure that doctors practicing medicine have issues. deductible. She works 12-hour days. don’t have to worry about frivolous In the House, we passed a bill, and She is in one of those at least 20 coun- lawsuits and fight defensive medicine. one of the big issues was preexisting ties in Ohio that will not have an in- That is really important. b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H5235 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:29 Jun 29, 2017 Jkt 069060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A28JN7.000 H28JNPT1 SSpencer on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with HOUSE H5236 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE June 28, 2017 We need to be able to buy insurance lic—pointed out that the health ex- TRIO PROGRAM ESSENTIAL FOR across State lines. We have it in prop- changes are not collapsing. They are STUDENTS erty and casualty insurance. We have actually in pretty good shape and they The SPEAKER pro tempore. The it in auto insurance. We ought to have could be made stronger with relatively Chair recognizes the gentleman from it in health insurance. It ought to be simple changes, because what we have Pennsylvania (Mr. THOMPSON) for 5 portable, you take it with you. And seen for the last 7 years, the Repub- minutes. you also have your health savings ac- lican plan has been to chip away at the Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. count that you can take with you and Affordable Care Act, to make it worse, Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak be portable. to create more uncertainty. Recently, about TRIO programs, which, for more These are some of the things that we the administration refused to advertise than 50 years, have helped millions of can do, but we have to let the market to help people join this year’s enroll- low-income students attend college. work. That is my hope. And this is a ment period and eliminated enforce- Often, these students are the first in tough issue. The Senate is working ment of the mandate, making the mar- their family to earn a college degree. through it. They want to do the right ket even more unstable. TRIO programs have helped low-in- thing. They want to make sure that How do we have such an alternative come and disabled students who want Americans have affordable, high-qual- universe? to pursue a higher education, but ity health insurance coverage that Well, I suggest that one of the prob- thought college was unaffordable and they can buy. We need to work through lems is that my friends on the Repub- out of reach. that, and I think the Senate will get lican side of the aisle who crafted the Children from disadvantaged families there. Hopefully, we will get a bill on House bill and who are working in se- often struggle to access important the President’s desk so my friend, cret in the Senate crafting the Senate mentoring, tutoring, and other hands- whom I have known for over 30 years, bill listen to the wrong people. They on services designed to help encourage can buy health insurance next year and listen to a small group, some of whom high school completion and the pursuit not have to worry about the risk of benefit from the Republican approach of postsecondary education. what happens if she gets sick, or if she because there are extra subsidies that Sadly, these students are often un- will have to go on Medicaid. go to them, or people who benefit from prepared for college academics and re- Mr. Speaker, one out of four Ameri- massive tax cuts that, frankly, they quire remedial courses that add to the cans today are on Medicaid. That is not don’t need. They listen to people who challenges of completing a program. really a good option. I am seeing some are all about political talking points Too many disadvantaged students sim- of our physicians are not treating Med- and not about the facts of healthcare ply give up on even applying to college icaid patients.