Chairman Scott: GOP’s Latest Legal Challenge to ACA Could Have “Devastating Impact” on All Americans
WASHINGTON – Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) delivered the following remarks on the House Floor in support of H. Res 6, Intervention in Affordable Care Act Litigation.
“Thank you, Madame Speaker, and I thank the gentle lady from Florida for her distinguished service as a secretary of Health and Human Services, and I thank her for yielding.
“I rise in strong support of this resolution.
“Legal scholars from across the ideological spectrum agree that this latest challenge to Affordable Care Act is legally frivolous. However, because of the devastating impact it will have on Americans, it is critical that we use our authority to intervene on their behalf.
“If Republicans successfully dismantle the Affordable Care Act, the consequences will be felt by all Americans, including the millions of people with employer-sponsored coverage.
“They will lose protections for patients with pre-existing conditions,
“They will lose prohibitions on annual and lifetime coverage limits,
“They will lose access to low- or no-cost preventive care, and;
“They will lose the popular provision which allows young people to stay on their parents’ insurance policies up to age 26.
“These protections are all a product of the Affordable Care Act. And they are all at risk.
“We can’t take the chance on this lawsuit being successful and then wait for a replacement, because we know what the replacement will be.
“The House-passed replacement for the Affordable Care Act from a few years ago would’ve resulted in millions of fewer people with insurance. According to the CBO, the cost will go up 20 percent the first year, insurance will cover less than it does now, and those with pre-existing conditions will lose their protections.
“That’s what would happen if this lawsuit is successful.
“This vote is about fulfilling our responsibility to act in the best interest of the American people.
“And so, I encourage my colleagues to support this resolution and I yield back the balance of my time.”
To learn more about how the Texas v. Azar case threatens employer-based health care, click here.
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