Langevin
Votes Against Legislation to Begin Repeal of the Affordable Care Act
Congressman
Jim Langevin (D-RI) voted in strong opposition to S.Con.Res. 3, the GOP budget
proposal that begins the process of dismantling the Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act, the law otherwise known as Obamacare.
The
resolution, which passed by a vote of 227 to 198, sets up an expedited process
for consideration of a full repeal bill that Republicans plan to introduce
later.
“Voting
for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was one of my proudest
moments in Congress. Before its passage, I heard from countless constituents
who were unable to afford health insurance coverage. I met families bankrupted
by medical bills in the wake of devastating accidents. I spoke with young
people working entry-level jobs while saddled with student loan debt and
mounting bills.
“Six
years later, 20 million Americans have gained health insurance coverage through
this historic and groundbreaking law, bringing the rate of uninsured
individuals down to 8.6 percent, the lowest on record.
“Health care costs – though still on the rise – have increased at a slower rate, as the system shifts towards preventative medicine. Doctors are being rewarded for keeping patients healthy, and patients are being encouraged to receive regular medical attention.
“It
is not a perfect law, but it has been a lifesaving reform for millions of
families, and to throw it out wholesale without any regard for the tens of
millions of Americans who stand to lose coverage is not only reckless, it’s
unconscionable.
“Throughout
President Obama’s Administration, House Republicans voted more than 60 times to
repeal or undermine the Affordable Care Act but refused to come to the table to
strengthen and improve the law. And despite having had six years to develop an
alternative, we voted today without any replacement plans in hand.
“Repealing
the Affordable Care Act could have enormous consequences, especially for the
people in this country who can least afford health coverage.
“Seniors
could lose essential Medicare benefits, people with disabilities and low-income
children could lose access to critical coverage, middle-class families could
see premiums begin to skyrocket, Rhode Island could lose thousands of jobs, and
insurance companies would resume control of Americans’ health care.
“To
dismantle the Affordable Care Act is to ignore the needs of our constituents.
And to my constituents in Rhode Island who have shared their stories of how
health care reform has changed their lives, I say this: we will continue to
fight.
“We
will fight for the economic security of American families, and we will fight
for the health and well-being of the American people.”