We are here today to repeal a law that is both fundamentally flawed and overwhelmingly unpopular.  The problem with this law – among its many faults – is it puts government at the center of health care decisions; not doctors and patients.  Instead of families and employers deciding what coverage is best for them, the Secretary of Health and Human Services makes that choice.  Instead of families and employers deciding what they can afford to spend on insurance, the IRS makes that decision.  Instead of families and employers deciding if they even need or want health insurance in the first place, the government mandates they purchase it.  This is all about the government.  It is Washington knows best, and it is all wrong.

By virtually every measure this law is a failure:

• The price tag of the law has already doubled;
• Health care premiums are going up;
• Americans are losing the insurance they have and like;
• Taxes are being raised by over one-half trillion dollars, and 12 of the 21 new taxes in the law will hit the middle class;
• It increases costs for 9 out of 10 seniors;
• It is “paid for” with budget gimmicks that even the government’s own actuaries admit are not workable; and
• According to the Congressional Budget Office, the law hinders job creation – something we can hardly afford after 41 consecutive months of the unemployment rate being above 8 percent.

To put it bluntly, this law is bad for workers, seniors, families, patients, doctors and employers.
 
And, as the Supreme Court ruled, the cornerstone of the Democrats’ health care law – the individual mandate – is a massive tax.  The Congressional Budget Office predicts that approximately 20 million Americans will either pay the tax or be forced to buy insurance that they otherwise wouldn’t have purchased.  Twenty million people.  Only two states in the U.S. have more than 20 million people – California and Texas.  Clearly, this is a major tax with major implications.

Democrats have argued that the individual mandate was necessary to improve the nation’s health.  So, what’s next? Will they require you to purchase low-fat or low-salt foods or pay a tax because they think it is good for you?

House Republicans have heard the American people loud and clear and we will not let government, let alone the IRS, dictate your health care.  We will repeal this law so you are again free to choose your health insurance plan, to choose your doctor, and to choose the medical treatment that best meets your needs.  Most important of all, we will ensure you have the freedom to choose what is best for you and your family.