Matter what. In reality some five million americans have lost their plans since that time and have suffered needlessly. Furthermore mr. Speaker, we were promised that premiums would go down. Instead premiums in the individual marketplace have increased by an average of 49 across the country. This is one of the main reasons that only 7 of americans believe that obamacare will actually reduce the cost of care. Obamacare has also been a drag on the economy. The Nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has estimated that this law will reduce the full fime work force by some fulltime work force by some 2. 5 Million People. And Small Business wages have already decreased 22. 6 billion dollars a year. Mr. Speaker, with its 1 trillion in new taxes and 2 trillion in new entitlement spending, we must repeal obamacare, and h. R. 596 does exactly that. Additionally, we must replace this law with patientcentered Free Market Solutions to the problems that exist in our Health Care System. H. R. 596 takes the important step of directing the committees of jurisdiction to develop legislation that will do just that. I ask all my colleagues to support h. R. 596. I yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from new jersey. Mr. Pallone mr. Speaker, i yield one minute to the gentlewoman from new york, ms. Compleark. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady from new york is recognized for one minute. Ms. Clarke thank you, mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to h. R. 596, a bill that will completely repeal the Affordable Care act, which was signed into law in 2010 and declared sound by the supreme court. It gives Health Care Coverage to all americans regardless of their gender, Health Condition or ability to pay. Unlike other republican repeal efforts, h. R. 596 does have a bit of a new twist. This legislation instructs the appropriate committee to include provisiones that will provide people with preexisting conditions access to Affordable Health coverage and provisions designed to increase the number of insured americans. Im not sure where the republicans have been in the past five years, but those two provisions is already in the Affordable Care act, which is already the law of the land. In fact, the number of uninsured americans have steadily decrease under the Affordable Care act to a record low of 13. 4 by the Second Quarter of freen, and the gallups 2014, and the gallups quarterly trend says the uninsured rate will drop over all age groups. The Affordable Care act is good law and should not be repealed and that is why i vehemently oppose h. R. 596. It is another very cynical attempt to take our nation backwards, and i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from the chair will inform the managers that the gentleman from pennsylvania has one minute remaining. The gentleman from new jersey has six minutes remaining. The gentleman from pennsylvania. Mr. Pitts mr. Speaker, ill verve. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. The gentleman from new jersey. Mr. Pallone mr. Speaker, id now yield one minute to the gentleman from oregon, mr. Schrader. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from oregon is recognized for one minute. Mr. Schrader thank you mr. Speaker. I have to say im very surprised i have to be here today. I thought after millions of americans said loud and clear this past november they want us to Work Together and find common ground. We could put divisive bills like this behind us. When i speak to voters in my district in oregon, none of them asked me to raise taxes on the middle class, which effectively this bill does. None of them asked me to let Health Insurance plans discriminate against women or against preexisting conditions. Something this bill does. I dont know any seniors that want to pay more for Prescription Drugs something that will happen if this bill becomes law. Nothing i speak with wants the most Vulnerable Children to go without Health Insurance, which will happen with this bill going into effect, ending bipartisan support for the childrens Health Insurance program. Nobody i know wants to see the deficit grow, to pass on more debt to future generations or reduce the solvency of the Medicare Trust fund, again, something that will happen if this bill becomes law. Mr. Speaker, i dont think my constituents are alone in this. Americans want us to stop wasting time, come together, put this partisan nonsense behind us and urge my colleagues right now to vote no on this bill and get our priorities in line. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from pennsylvania. Mr. Pitts mr. Speaker, i continue to reserve. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves. The gentleman from new jersey. Mr. Pallone mr. Speaker, i now yield one minute to my colleague my colleague from massachusetts, mr. Kennedy. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized for one minute. Mr. Kennedy thank you mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, i rise today in proud support of the Affordable Care act and the millions of americans that have received coverage under this law. I rise today in support of the idea that in this country, the most powerful in the world, that every citizen deserves access to quality, Affordable Health care. And i rise today on behalf of the millions of children that get Health Insurance through the children Health Insurance program that is also at risk today. Mr. Speaker, one in five children today are on food stamps. 16 million kids under the age of 18. For the first time in 50 years, the majority of u. S. Public School Students live in poverty. Chip was designed in the 1990s to try to address these kids and make sure they have access to health care. And since the uninsured rate for children has dropped from 14 to 7 . Chip funding expires later this year and includes in this bill, more than eight million children will lose access to Health Insurance. That is 150,000 children in massachusetts alone. And so mr. Speaker, i ask my colleagues today to hear those eight million voices, to vote no on this bill. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from pennsylvania. Mr. Pitts continue to reserve. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves. The gentleman from new jersey. Mr. Pallone mr. Speaker id now yield the gentleman from california mr. Cardenas, one minute. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized for one minute. Mr. Cardenas i rise in opposition to h. R. 596. Americans should know that these same fearmongering comments were made when congress created medicare. Today we have millions of grandmothers and grandfathers who would not be alive today had that congress abandoned this critical lifesaving law. Im proud to support the Affordable Care act. Last year in the san fernando vamly, thousands of families sat there nervous at first but after realize now their family could afford to see a doctor, i personally witnessed tears of joy. Republicans need to stop playing games with peoples lives. The Affordable Care act saves lives. Obamacare never existed. Obamacare is just a form of a lie. Americans need to learn that the Affordable Care act is not what people call obamacare. Millions of people will be alive today and tomorrow and we just have to look at our history in congress to know that fear mongering should not intimidate elected officials. Thank you very much. I yield back my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from pennsylvania. Mr. Pitts continue to reserve. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves. The gentleman from new jersey. Mr. Pallone mr. Speaker, i now yield a minute to the gentleman from california, mr. Thompson. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized for one minute. Mr. Thompson i thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker its said that insanity is doing something over and over again and expecting a different result. Well, here we go again, the 56th bill to repeal or undermine the Affordable Care act. We all understand that the majority needs to give their freshmen members an opportunity to say that they voted to repeal obamacare. So lets call this what it really is an exercise in futility. It may make for good talking points in your district, but its bad for our country and its a waste of time and a waste of tax dollars. Youre in charge with the biggest majority in decades, and this is what you decide to do with it . Folks on my side of the aisle are willing to work with you on things, like investing in roads growing our economy creating jobs and even making improvements in the Affordable Care act. Our constituents sent us here to get something done, not to pass bills that are never going to become law. So lets do something meaningful. Lets say no to this bill and get on with the work of the people. I yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from pennsylvania. Mr. Pitts might i inquire how many speakers the gentleman has . Mr. Pallone were prepared to close. Ill verve. The speaker pro tempore mr. Pitts were prepared to close, ill reserve. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from new jersey. Mr. Pallone how much time do we have . The speaker pro tempore two minutes. Mr. Pallone i yield myself two minutes mr. Speaker. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Pallone my colleagues on the other side keep saying they will come up with an alternative to the Affordable Care act and yet not one speaker mentioned an alternative that they have and thats because it doesnt exist. As i said before, four years ago, they came up with a similar repeal bill. They said they were going to instruct the committees to come back with an alternative and they never did. And they never will. The fact of the matter is if you listen to my colleagues on the democratic side, they talked about all the positive things that have occurred because of the Affordable Care act. Millions, almost 20 Million People who didnt have insurance before, now have insurance. Preexisting conditions out the window. How many people had to werent able to get insurance before because they had cancer or they had other preexisting conditions that made it impossible for them to get insurance . And that is not the case anymore. Kids who are on their parents policies seniors who benefited from the fact now theres no doughnut hole and they can basically get their Prescription Drugs. How in the world are my republican colleagues come here on the floor and know that all these positive things have resulted because of the Affordable Care act . And just in a moments notice say theyre simply going to repeal it and not even have an alternative to come up with it . Its incredible to me they want to turn the clock back and dont understand that people have benefited greatly from the Affordable Care act. Well, the bottom line is that we as democrats are not going to turn the clock back. We are very proud of the fact the Affordable Care act has accomplished so much to reform the Health Care System, to deal with Preventative Care, to make changes in the Health Care System that are provided good, quality care, good benefits at an affordable price. This president said this bill is dead on arrival. Hell veto it. Hell take out his veto pen. Lets not waste our time. 56th vote to repeal i hope we dont see another one. Its simply a waste of time and i hope my republican colleagues understand that. So if you have some ideas in the future that you want to make improvements, you want to improve quality, you want to improve access well listen to them. Were more than willing to work with you on a bipartisan basis, but we are not going back to the system that existed before where the Insurance Companies ran the system. Were not giving it back to the Insurance Companies. I yield back, mr. Speaker. The speaker pro tempore the gentlemans time has expired. The gentleman from pennsylvania. As i said before, we had several hundred bills, a menu of options to repeal and replace. Mr. Pitts some comprehensive, some targeted. I would remind the democrats that obamacare cut 17. 16 billion out of medicare to fund obamacare. Im pleased now to yield such time as he may consume to our great majority leader, mr. Mccarthy from california. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from california is recognized. Mr. Mccarthy i thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, today the house will vote on a bill that we have voted on many times in this chamber. Mr. Speaker, you want to know why . The answer is very simple. The law is a disaster. We still cant afford its costs and the American People still dont want it. The house on both sides is intimately tied to the will of the people. We talk, we listen to our constituents every day. In our districts we listen to them at meetings, in the grocery store, at the gas station and in our houses of worship. And every two years our neighbors either send us back to washington to fight for them, or send someone else. In the most fundamental way their priorities are our priorities. Because we directly represent them. And when it comes to obamacare, the people could not be clearer. Mr. Speaker, you know what they have said . They said, we dont want it. We dont want higher premiums. We dont want to be forced to buy all sorts of coverage that we dont need and cant afford. Mr. Speaker, theyve also said we dont said, we dont want to lose our doctors, as millions have. We dont want to give control over our Health Care Decisions to washington bureaucrats. They have simply said, we dont want it. But for years the president hasnt listened. Now House Republicans have three priorities. We want to increase freedom, promote opportunity and hold government accountable. Obamacare is against all those goals with its outdated, topdown approach. It limits opportunities by destroying the 40hour workweek and saddling americans with more costs. And it empowers the government that mismanaged the v. A. And gives them even more control over american Health Care System. We need a new system. We need a system that puts the patients first. One that controls costs through competition and expands coverage by choice, not coercion. That is a system the house is developing right now. So if you ask why were voting to repeal this law again, were doing it for the people. Mr. Speaker, i ask that every member in this house that has a direct relationship with their district to listen. But at the end, have the wisdom to listen, but the courage to lead and vote yes. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the time has expired for the energy and commerce committee. The gentleman from texas and the gentleman from michigan each will control 15 minutes. The chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. Thank you, mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Speaker, i rise today in support of h. R. 596, legislation to repeal the president s controversial and Expensive Health care law. Mr. Brady a law that put 159 federal agencies, commissions and bureaucracies in between you and your physician. Mr. Speaker, today the house of representatives again acts to repeal the costly mistake known as the Affordable Care act. And in the years since the laws passage, americans, too Many Americans, have discovered the reality behind the president s promises. Americans lost plans they liked. And wanted to keep. They saw their premiums soar and their deductibles. They discovered their Family Doctor was suddenly out of network and unaffordable. They saw their hours reduced to work and hiring slowed as a result of the laws 1 trillion in new taxes. They realized that under the law more work doesnt necessarily mean more pay. They saw their tax dollars risked on insurance organizations that are now failing. They tried frustratingly to navigate the complicated health care site to get help, buying what turned out to be more costly coverage. And soon millions of un suspecting americans may know that errors beyond their control could leave them on the hook to the i. R. S. Todays action is not simply opposing the Affordable Care act, its about standing up for our families, parents, Small Businesses and local Health Care Providers who have been hurt by this law. The American People deserve better than this. We need to start over and that begins with the full repeal of the president S Health Care law. But we cant just stop there. We also have to continue to advance our own patientcentered solutions to the problems in health care. Solutions that actually lower the cost of health care, that make our Current System more fair, that protect the most vulner