Skip to Content
IRS Whistleblowers, click here to contact the Ways & Means Committee about waste, fraud, and abuse.

H.R. 45, Repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and Health Care-Related Provisions in the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010

(Remarks as Prepared)
May 16, 2013 — Floor Statements   

I rise today in support of H.R. 45, legislation to repeal ObamaCare.

In March 2010, then-Speaker Pelosi famously said, with respect to the President’s health care law, “We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what’s in it.”  Well, Washington Democrats passed that bill, and virtually every week since has been an expensive, eye-opening experience.

Over the past three years, it has become clear that ObamaCare is irreparably flawed, fails to deliver on its promises, and causes serious harm to our economy.  The legislation before the House is the first step toward fixing all of these problems.  We must first repeal this onerous law and then move forward and work with stakeholders to develop step-by-step, common sense reforms that actually lower the cost of health care and respect the patient-doctor relationship.

The President’s health care law is at its core a flawed policy.  It puts the Federal Government precisely where it doesn’t belong, between Americans and their doctors.  Instead of families deciding what coverage is best for them or families and employers deciding how much they can afford, this law has the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the IRS making those decisions.  

ObamaCare also falls short of almost every one of the President and Congressional Democrats’ promises for the law.  It doesn’t control costs, doesn’t let Americans keep the insurance they have and like, doesn’t protect jobs, doesn’t ensure seniors have access to their doctors and hospitals, and doesn’t prevent 21 new tax increases – including more than a dozen that will hit middle class families.  Simply put, it is a resounding failure.

If that wasn’t enough, the health care law is causing serious harm to our economy at a time when it is struggling to climb out of the hole dug by the Administration’s failed economic policies.  We have received countless reports of businesses reluctant to hire or shifting employees from full-time to part-time employment because of the steep costs associated with complying with the law.  This is simply unacceptable while well over 11 million Americans remain unemployed.

Mister Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in voting to repeal this burdensome law and continue working toward real reform that lowers costs and improves the quality of health care in this country.

###



SUBCOMMITTEE: Health    SUBCOMMITTEE: Full Committee