Pete Sessions Floor Statement on the Repeal of ObamaCare Act

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Congressman Pete Sessions (R-Dallas), a Member of House Republican Leadership, delivered the following remarks on the House floor yesterday in support of the Repeal of ObamaCare Act. Sessions, who serves as the Vice Chairman of the House Rules Committee, brought the legislation to the House floor and managed the debate for the rule. 

Click here to view Congressman Sessions’ remarks on the House floor

“On June 28th, just twelve days ago, the United States Supreme Court upheld the individual mandate provisions in ObamaCare, thereby forcing every American to purchase health insurance. While I may disagree with how they ruled, I respect their decision and there is nothing we can do to change that. ObamaCare is now the official law of land.

“However, there is something this body can do to reverse the course and to prevent the job-destroying aspects of this bill from taking effect – a complete repeal of the bill that the President asked this Congress to pass under Speaker Pelosi. And they did. We need to repeal ObamaCare today. In 2010 Republicans were elected all across this country because Americans understand the need to stop the tax and spend policies of the other party, and H.R. 6079 will do exactly that.

“Last night in the Rules Committee, my colleague, the gentleman from New Jersey, Mr. Andrews urged us to ‘dispassionately examine the facts.’ I agree with that sentiment and would like to take a moment to do just that:

• Earlier this year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reported that health insurance premiums are expected to rise by 44% over the next 9 years as a result of ObamaCare and that since ObamaCare was signed into law, there has been a steady decline in the number of Americans on private health insurance.
• A report from the McKinsey Group found that more than 50% of employers with a high awareness of the law and they said that they will stop offering health insurance, confirming what Republicans have been saying for three years. And that is that Obamacare is designed to force employers to drop coverage in an attempt to get Americans to enter the new health exchanges.
• A Kaiser Family Foundation report found that health insurance premiums have increased by 9% or 1,200 dollars for an average American family following the passage of the President’s health care law.
• According to the 2010 Medicare Trustees Report, as a direct result of ObamaCare, more than 90% of seniors will lose the retiree prescription drug coverage they have and will see nearly double-digit premium increases.
• Seniors will also see reduced access to doctors as Medicare officials explained that physicians ‘could find it difficult to remain profitable and…might end their participation in the program (possibly jeopardizing access to care for beneficiaries).’
• According to the President’s own budget, the cost of ObamaCare subsidies has jumped by 111 billion dollars in just one year. Earlier this year during a Ways and Means Committee hearing on February 28,  2012 when asked why this happened, Health and Human Services Secretary Sebelius said, ‘I really don’t know.’
• And finally, earlier this year the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) adjusted their long-term outlook of the impact of ObamaCare on our national debt. The revised figures show ObamaCare will cost taxpayers $1.8 trillion dollars – twice as much as the President promised in 2010.

“These are just a few of the facts that I believe should considered dispassionately as we debate whether to repeal ObamaCare. If you think that the facts I just listed are what this country needs, then vote to keep it. However, if you are like me and find those facts unacceptable for our future, then I urge you to join me in repealing ObamaCare – so that we can focus on patient-centered healthcare solutions which do not increase dramatically insurance premiums, do not restrict access to physicians, and do not mount unsustainable debt on our children and grandchildren, as well as harming employers that wish to hire more Americans.”

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