Congressman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.)
Statement on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives in opposition to H.Res. 724, the rule providing for consideration of H.R. 6079, the Patients’ Rights Repeal Act

“The Affordable Care Act is now part of our nation’s fabric of health care laws. Right alongside Social Security and Medicare, now stands the Affordable Care Act.

“Yet Republicans keep trying to take away or take apart the benefits included in the law, now for the 31st time since they took over the House of Representatives.

“What we have here is a severe case of ‘Republican Reflux’.

“Again and again, Republicans keep coming up with harmful attempts to destroy all the protections Americans have gained under this law. Groundhog’s Day or ‘Republican Reflux’, these are attempts to repeal this historic piece of legislation that helps every family in our country.

“Again and again, Republicans keep choosing corporations over consumers.

“The side effects of this Republican Reflux are serious.  

“If Republicans succeed, insurance companies could once again deny coverage because of pre-existing conditions. Kids with asthma, women with breast cancer - all of these protections would just go away. And Republicans would replace it with nothing.

“Americans could once again be forced into bankruptcy just because they got sick. And what are Republicans going to put into place to protect Americans from going bankrupt just because you are sick? Nothing. They have no proposal.

“Women could once again be discriminated against with higher insurance premiums. Just being a woman, unfortunately, under existing law is a condition that has women paying more for insurance. What are Republicans going to replace these protections with? Nothing.

“With this Republican Reflux, it’s the American people who get burned. All they are doing is attempting to repeal protections that ensure for every American family all of the extra protections that Republicans have always denied them.

“Republicans keep saying ‘we care about pre-existing conditions.’ They keep saying ‘we care about people going bankrupt and women being discriminated against.’ But when you ask them for a proposal to address these issues and ask for a vote on it, there is silence. Because for Republicans, this is about insurance companies over the consumers of our country.

“Vote no on this Republican Reflux bill.”

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