DeLauro Fights Against Repeal of Health Care Reform Law

Speaks at House Democratic Steering & Policy Committee Hearing

Washington, DC— Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3), co-chair of the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, spoke today at a committee hearing on the impact repealing the health care reform law would have on middle class Americans.

Congresswoman DeLauro made remarks about the importance of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and introduced several of the witnesses at the hearing who testified about how their lives would be impacted should the Republicans succeed in repealing the law. This is the only hearing that will be held in the House of Representatives before the scheduled January 19 vote to repeal the health care reform law, and an opportunity for the American people to have their voices heard in support of the law’s rights and protections.

“With this law, we have taken the power from the insurance companies, and given it back to patients and their doctors. We have expanded access to coverage, ensured people can get the care they need, and lowered costs for everybody. These reforms give Americans the freedom to make their own health care decisions, while creating jobs and reducing the deficit. And yet, the new Republican House has made repealing this law its first priority, even though we know for a fact that repeal will add significantly to the deficit and severely hurt job creation, the middle class, and America.

“If repeal of this law passed, young people could no longer stay on their parents’ plans up to age 26. Children with pre-existing conditions will once again be denied coverage. So too will adults with pre-existing conditions, and that includes 129 million Americans under the age of 65, as well as myself as an ovarian cancer survivor. Seniors will have to pay more for their prescription drugs. And many might well have to pay back the $250 rebate checks they received last year to help pay for these life-saving drugs.

“Women will no longer receive coverage for maternity care or pediatric care for their children. And they will be forced once again to pay more for the same plans, just because they are women. Women who have had a C-section, or who have been victims of domestic violence, may also be denied coverage once again. Small businesses all across the country will lose access to the health care exchanges, and end up paying higher taxes and more to cover their customers. Families too will lose their affordability credits, and end up paying more for health care.

“This is not the direction we should be moving towards. We should be working to further strengthen our health care system, not rolling back all the hard-won progress we have already made. We should not be putting families at risk in the name of political gamesmanship. Health care repeal is a mistake, and it is one that I, and every Democrat in this room, will fight to prevent.”