Good morning, good morning. Good morning. Good morning. Speaker pelosi good morning. Thank you all for being here. My apologies, it is like the middle of the day. There is so much that has been going on today already, but here we are to talk about something that is so important in the lives of the American People, their health. It is not only about their health, but about their financial health. When we ran in 2018, we said that we would do three things. We would lower the cost of health care by lowering the cost of prescription drugs and preserving the preexisting conditions. We would have Lower Health Care osts, these are paychecks by building the infrastructure of america in a green way. And, cleaner government with hr one that would make each possible which would reduce the role of dark money and politics preventing us from accomplishing goals. In the subject of health care, this was a reiteration on what we had run on in 2006. 6 for 06. One of those was to give the secretary the authority to negotiate for a lower price. We knew then, and we knew now that was the only way we could take down these prices. Although, 6 for 06, five became law, and one did not. And that was giving the secretary to negotiate for lower prices. That is the heart of hr three, which is very much a part of the legislation we will hear about today. I am honored that we are here with richie neil. Mr. Pallone whose committee has o much jurisdiction, the chairman of the education and labor committee, bobby scott. These three where there developing that and the Affordable Care act. All of them were a very much art of shaping that, we want to enhance it so the leadership of these three committees are here today. Let me just say that we did not envision when we were doing hr 3 that we would be in the middle of a pandemic, but we are. All the more reason for us to emove all doubt of affordability. This is about the lives, livelihood of the American People. And, i always like to quote mr. Condron who likes to quote artin luther king who said in all the forms of inequality, injustice and health is the most shocking and inhuman because it often results in physical death. That is true, generally speaking, and it is also true at the center of this pandemic where there is a disproportionate number of deaths in communities of color because of inequality of access to health care. That is what we are here to alk about. I could say a lot about each of the people who are here. Some are part of our freshman class who from, day one, have taken the lead on this in terms of asserting rights to fight in court against the president s repeal of the Affordable Care act. The repeal of preexisting benefits condition, the repeal of so many things from day one and they will talk about their roles in that. Between each all, the physician, many degrees in Harvard Health and medicine as well as a member of congress will speak to us about a juxtaposition of policy and good health. With that i am pleased to start out with how we started this congressional session a year and a half ago. I yield to the distinguished gentleman from texas. Thank you, madame speaker, and i want to thank my colleagues for fighting for this critically important legislation. As the copresident of the freshman class, i have to say that are diverse and talented colleagues were elected to deliver results like protecting health care and to stop the sabotage of our Health Care System. That starts with stopping the lawsuit in the Affordable Care act in its entirety. This pandemic has made clear the deep inequities and failures in our Health Care System, especially in Dallas County where one in four do not have Health Insurance. In the state with the highest uninsured rate in the country, texas has not expanded medicaid leaving one million texans without health care coverage. These problems were clear before the pandemic, and yet this administration is dead set on achieving through the courts what they could not do in congress. While we all fight for this legislation, as we speak, the Trump Administration is engaging in an attempt to tear it down and rip away health care for millions of americans. Families like the rose family, who i met at the opening of a veterans center. Rob and debbie rose have been able to get plans on the exchange as they waited for their Medicare Coverage to come in. It is a story that is far too common and it is why we cannot go backwards. That is why in table one i lead the charge to fight the lawsuit with my colleagues and this is a fight we need to win to preserve the protections for preexisting conditions and all other protection rights in the aca. They should not really be a political issue. It is time for the administration to drop the lawsuit and join us in our efforts to expand coverage and lower cost. Americans need more access to health care, not less. The bill is a big first step to fixing our Health Care System and i am proud to join in this fight. I will yield on video to our chairman of the ways and Means Committee. Mr. Neal thanks. And thanks to you, madam speaker, and thanks to colleagues. We take particular satisfaction in this moment. Helped to write the ford the Affordable Care act which has been successful. A compelling statistic. 100 of children in massachusetts today have Health Insurance and almost 98 of the adults have Health Insurance ecause of our efforts. As dr. Fauci reminded us, we are still in the midst of this pandemic and there is no better time to increase access to highQuality Health care while lowering costs as republicans continue their efforts to dismantle our Health Care System and eliminate protections. The response to the challenge that americans are facing due to covid19, the ways and Means Committee included a provision to expand tax credits for lower premiums on the marketplace. For the first time in history, no person will pay more than 8. 5 of their income for a plan n the marketplace. We recognize the need of unemployed americans who would be looking for Health Coverage through the marketplace and made sure that they now qualify for subsidies. People earning 40,000 a year will save nearly 1600 thousand in premiums this year. Nearly 1,600 in people are combrums premiums this year. 19,000, and americans have families who earn 19,000 would ee premiums cut to zero. Saving 800 a year. A 64yearold earning 56,000 a year would save 8,700 in premiums each year. These are significant savings that would make a big difference for americans during this crisis. The wellbeing and Financial Security of the American Families and workers of the nation are at stake and we must act quickly. To pass this urgently needed legislation. Speaker pelosi effective from the start, congresswoman lauren underwood. Rep. Underwood thank you madame speaker. Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of the historic unveiling of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care enchancement act. For americans who remain uninsured or underinsured, we know that affordability is the biggest barrier. To coverage. Covid19 makes Affordable Care, and reliable Insurance Coverage an even more pressing need for the millions of americans who could lose their insurance during the pandemic. Now more than ever it is imperative that we act boldly to lower the cost of premiums and Bring Health Care within each for every american. That is why the Patient Protection and Affordable Care enchancement act is so important. This package includes legislation that i introduced to make Insurance Premium tax credits more generous and available to more americans. Currently there is an income cap on who qualifies for the tax credits. This legislation would ensure anyone who buys insurance on their own could buy it for 8. 5 of their income, or less. Let me share an example of what that could mean for families in my district. A 60yearold couple making 70,000 a year spends more than 1 3 of their income on Health Insurance. Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care enchancement act, their premium would drop by nearly 80 , saving the couple over 1500 per month. A typical family of four would see their monthly premium drop by nearly half. The bill extends medicaid coverage for pregnant people, from 60 days after delivery to one full year, so that moms can receive the care they need, and deserve in the full postpartum period. We know that this policy will reduce the Racial Disparities in Maternal Health outcomes, an urgent focus of our black Maternal Health caucus. It will save lives. At least nine million more uninsured americans gaining coverage and 10 million and more will see their premiums reduced. Millions of americans who lay awake at night wondering if they are one illness away from medical bankruptcy will finally know the Economic Security of Health Insurance coverage. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care enhancement act delivers on a promise to end for the people ensuring every american citizen has access to quality, Affordable Health care. It is my honor to introduce the chairman of the energy and commerce committee, frank pallone. Rep. Pallone let me just say that i think this bill, which i call the enhancement act, is a winwin all around, because we are trying to increase access and at the same time deal with affordability so that people can afford their Health Insurance and prescription drugs. As the speaker said, when we drafted the Affordable Care act a few years ago now, those were the goals. One thing that was absent was the ability to bring down the ost of prescription drugs, which more and more is a big part of affordability, or if people can afford health care. What do we do . In the aca the two ways to expand access that were crucial were to provide a level of tax credit or subsidy for people to pay their premiums on the individual market, and the other one was to expand medicaid. We knew that if we expanded medicaid and got more people and had a major subsidy or tax credit, tens of millions of more people will be able to get coverage. That is what we are doing with this enhancement act. With covid, prices of Health Insurance will go up, and we know that many states have not expanded medicaid. And now, because they are not at 100 match, they may have less of an incentive to do so. We address both of those things. We say that we are going to increase the level of the tax credit or premium, and it is estimated that premiums would be 10 lower, because of this bill. So, we give a greater subsidy to pay your premium, and increase the level of income at which you are eligible for a subsidy. Essentially theres no cap anymore so almost everyone gets some kind of help. With regard to medicaid, we know that if we go back to the 100 match, that creates an incentive for the states who have not expanded to do so. It basically says that 4 million more people would be covered under this enhancement act, 2. 3 million under medicaid and significantly more because they would buy individual insurance and cost them less. The winwin is also the fact that we put in the negotiated price legislation that was part of hr 3 as the speaker aid. Why in the world should all of the other developed countries, rices are half, 25 , sometimes 10 times the cost here of what they are in other countries. And that is simply not fair, and then what do we do . Then we take the savings from those negotiated prices and it is used to pay for the additional subsidies and for the 100 match for medicaid. It is a winwin all around and it is part of the effort by House Democrats, again, to get more people to have Health Insurance coverage and also increase affordability for both prescription drugs and further premiums with the goal constantly of trying to get as close as we can to universal Health Insurance. With that i would not like to introduce another one of our i dont like to say new members anymore. Relatively new members who have been very active on this issue, angie craig. Rep. Craig thank you chairman. I think at this point the freshman class is pretty darn xperienced after this on after this 116th congress. My name is angie craig and i represent the second Congressional District. This bill is immensely personal to me. I grew up for a portion of my childhood without access to Health Insurance. Remember the box of bills that piled up on the Kitchen Table that my mom could not pay. I also spent more than 20 years working in two Health Care Manufacturing firms, and i had responsibility for health care for 18,000 americans at a major u. S. Company. The 51 of nonelderly with preexisting conditions in my Congressional District, the aca as a lifeline. I ran for congress because americans do not just need us to address the cost of health care. The cost of Health Insurance, they need us to address the cost of health care. This is a moment that requires us to come together as americans and stop playing politics with health care. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care enchancement act strengthens the important progress we have made under the aca. I am proud that the base of the bill, hr 1425, a bipartisan bill, the premium reduction act, is my bill in the First Health Care legislation that i compiled as a member of ongress. Les and his family farm in my district and they pay 20,000 a year with a 12,000 eductible. In farms farms by flashlight and works during the day just for the family Health Insurance. His will allow states to lower the cost of premiums in the individual marketplace and to expand access to more americans. These examples show the heart of the problem. F health care is not affordable it is not cceptable. I am pleased that this package includes the transformational drug pricing negotiation mechanism from the elisha e. Cummings lower drug costs now act, which takes on the high cost of prescription drugs. It is long past time to stop trying to tear down and throw out the aca. It is time to Work Together to build the Health Care System americans need and deserve. Thank you. Now, i would like to turn it over to my colleague. And friend. Ongressman andy kim. Mr. Kim good morning, everyone. My name is congressman kim from new jersey. I think it is insane in the middle of a pandemic or health care in our country is under attack. I dare anyone to look in the eyes of people of new jersey and tell them we should be taking away health care from eople who need it now. My state, on the verge of 3,000 deaths due to this virus. We stand here today to definitely and resoundingly say that the richest and most powerful country in the world should commit itself to strengthening our health care, not weakening it. I should not have to utter those words, it should be in a given in a pandemic that has taken the lives of over 120,000 americans that enhancing and improving health care should be a top priority. Taking away health care from americans in the middle of a pandemic is as absurd as saying we should be slowing down testing of the coronavirus when thousands are dying. We are better than that. Americans deserve better than that. There are tangible ways to be able to improve our care and make sure that we are taking immediate steps, if only we just stop playing politics with peoples lives. That is what people want. Their representatives developing concrete solutions to be able to stop the partisan bickering and have the health are that the American People deserve. One such idea is delivering funds for states who want to establish their own exchanges. Ne of those states currently in the process of setting up an exchange in new jersey. Statebased exchanges work, they lower costs. And it has bipartisan support. It should not be up for debate or in doubt. It should be i look forward to making that happen and working with my colleagues to bring the bill to the floor and get this passed for the American People. Thank you. I would like to introduce chairman scott. Rep scott thank you congressman kim, Speaker Pelosi, and our chairs for heir work, and other members and working to expand access to Affordable Health care during this pandemic. As we confront the most Serious Public Health emergency in recent history, our First Priority must be to help protect the health and safety f American People. Based on the job losses in march and april alone, experts estimate that 26 Million People have lost their Health Insurance due to the pandemic. Any of these workers and families will turn to the Affordable Care act marketplaces for health care during the pandemic. You must Prioritize Building on the progress we have made through the aca to expand access to affordable coverage. This is exactly what the Affordable Care enhancement legislation will achieve. As my colleagues have noted, no person will pay more than eight point 5 of income on benchmark silver plan through the marketplace, or by fixing the family glitch. The bill will make coverage affordable for millions of working families. The legislation will provide incentives to expand medicaid so that low income workers and families will have coverage regardless of where they live. This legislation also bills the existing Patient Protections by reversing the Trump Administrations expansion of shortterm or junk plans which discriminate against persons with preexisting conditions and are not required to cover essential benefits. These plans also divert Healthy People from the general insurance market, raising the cost for everyone else and abandon patients when they get ick, when they actually need insurance. The bill will save money for workers and employers by cutting costs of drugs and ringing them in line with costs that people pay in other countries. Unfortunately, the Trump Administration has continued to aggressively pursue the u. S. Lawsuit, but if this suit is uccessful, all of the benefits of the aca will be lost. Or example, tens of millions of people will lose their insurance, people with preexisting conditions will ose protections. Affordability credits will evaporate. And this will all happen in the unprecedented Public Health emergency. This would be a major step ackwards in our efforts to put Quality Health care within the each of all americans. I contrast, passing the Affordable Care enhancement ct, we will strengthen the aca, and ensure that millions of americans have access to Affordable Health care when they need it most. Thank you, and i wish to call on the gentleman from california, congressman raul ruiz. Ep. Ruiz thank you chairman scott and Speaker Pelosi for your leadership and determination to make true the words for the people. I am raul ruiz and i represent a 36 Congressional District where i practiced emergency medicine. Ive seen the faces of failed health care policies. I have looked into the eyes of the suffering when they could not afford care. I have been at their bedside, resuscitating them after a severe illness took their lives, their loved ones lives, knowing that it could have been prevented with routine care if they only had Health Insurance. Or, Affordable Care. And, even now, i have gone into hardtoreach and highrisk communities and, personally, conducted covid19 testing, watching the health inequities, and disparities play out in real time, seeing disproportionately high rates of transmissions and deaths in low income, uninsured, latino farmworkers and the homeless communities. And, when i am out there, there is concern about the affordability of care in these low income communities and working poor communities that do not have adequate Health Insurance. They are concerned of spreading it in their homes. The decisions that real working americans right now are making our do i get tested, and maybe be positive, and then i cannot go to work. Well how am i going to go to work if i am positive, they wont let me, therefore i will ot get the income to support my family. These are decisions that merican families should not be making in the greatest country his world has ever seen. And, as a physician, and humanitarian, i find it repulsive that during a global pandemic, while millions are infected by covid19, millions gasping for air, millions anxious, and depressed because of their situation, and millions more are unemployed and struggling economically, that the Trump Administration s actively trying to tear down the Affordable Care act. What does that mean . Actively trying to eliminate protections for people with reexisting conditions, all of those underlying illnesses like cardiopulmonary diseases, diabetes, immune weakness that render people more likely to die from covid19. Like taking away Health Insurance for millions of people, all of those for whom the first time in their lives were able to get Health Insurance through the medicaid expansion. You see, repealing the aca would be another disaster, leading to millions of families facing financial hardships and many more deaths from ovid19. It is precisely during this time, precisely in our moments of history, precisely in the american familys agony that we must pass hr 1425, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care enhancement act. That we must act for the people and fight to make health care more affordable by stabilizing the markets, strengthening protections for preexisting conditions and incentivizing other states to expand the edicaid program and lowering the cost of prescription drugs, and hr 1425 would do that. That is why we need this bill, for those patients who are concerned that they have covid r the family who will be infected, and for those individuals and the families who are struggling to pay their bills. That is why democrats will keep fighting for the people. Thank you, and i would like to turn it back over to Speaker Pelosi. Speaker pelosi thank you very uch. Thank you to all of our members for their leadership. And as congressman ruiz mentioned and was alluded to by congressman scott, tomorrow the Supreme Court will hear the brief from the Trump Administration as to taking down the Affordable Care act, right in the heart of the time of the pandemic. It was wrong any time, now it is beyond stupid, beyond tupid. I think our colleagues, and freshman members, each of whom has a piece of legislation from their own entrepreneurial thinking or experience whether as a health care professional, person who had the family experience, but also works rofessionally. And, of course, mr. Allbright who started all of this on the first day. That is tomorrow. Today, we will go to rules committee to make this legislation in order. Tomorrow, they will do their brief to take down the Affordable Care act. And they will remove all semblance of reality when they say we are all for the benefit f preexisting condition not being an obstacle to Health Insurance and health care. We are all for that. Oh really . Then tell the president to get off the case. Nonetheless, on monday, this important legislation will come to the floor of the house. We hope it will get bipartisan support. It certainly meets the needs of democrats, republicans, and others across the country, because the issue of health care knows no party, and the issue of the pandemic certainly oes not as well. Dr. King said the fierce urgency of now. It is not just the fierce urgency of now, it is the opportunity of now. We have that to make this difference. S mr. Ruiz says, for the people, i think all of the colleagues and the chairman, bobby scott, chairman frank pollone, and richie neil for their leadership in bringing this bill to the floor on monday. With that, i thank you all, ash her hands, wearing a mask, keep your distance. Thank you all. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2020] House Democrats unveiling a new Health Care Bill this morning. We expect that measure to be on the house floor next week. Along with an infrastructure bill. Watch live house coverage here on cspan. This week, watch house votes on policing reform and d. C. Statehood legislation. Thursday at 10 00 a. M. Eastern, live on cspan. The house will debate and vote on the democrats policing reform bill. The George Floyd Justice in policing act. And on friday at 9 00 a. M. Eastern, live on cspan, the house will vote on legislation to designate the District Of Columbia as a state. Watch this week live thursday and friday on cspan, online at cspan. Org, or listen live on the free cspan radio app. I think the problem is that theres a finite number of resources to be spent to advance a whole lot of areas of our justice system. And so youre throwing money away, thats the first thing. But the more important thing is that by channeling enforcement enforcement efforts into inappropriate targets for the purpose in some cases of harassing people, which i think is often what were dealing with, and also for channeling resources and spending time trying to give a special deal to other people, youre not only wasting money, but youre totally undermining public trust in the system. Youre creating a situation i think were on the way to something far worse than watergate, where you had a problem of public distrust. Because its becoming very transparent that many things are being done essentially for reasons that are completely unrelated to the merits of the case. The House Judiciary Committee today heard from current and former Justice Department officials and a deputy of former special counsel robert mueller. You can watch that tonight at 9 00 p. M. Eastern on cspan. You can also watch any time online at cspan. Org or listen on the free cspan radio app. Next, a conversation with president trumps former National Security advisor, h. R. Mcmaster and bridgewater c. E. O. David mccormick. They talked about the u. S. Economy and National Security at this event hosted by the hoover institute. Welcome to the inaugural state craft innovation and leadership d we are David Mccormick c. E. O. Of bridgewater. And david joined bridge water in 2009 who previously served as esident and coc. E. O. Before becoming c. E. O. He was u. S. Treasury under secretary for International Affairs during the Global Financial crisis and
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