Huffman: We Should Work Together to Improve Affordable Care Act Implementation

November 20, 2013

WASHINGTON­—Congressman Jared Huffman (D- San Rafael) spoke on the House floor today and called for members of Congress to work together to improve the implementation of the Affordable Care Act—just as they did with Social Security and Medicare. Huffman noted that, while the bill is not perfect and glitches should be fixed, the Affordable Care Act is working for California: tens of thousands of Californians have already enrolled through Covered California.

“We knew all along that a reform this wide-ranging would require some adaptive management. It happened with Social Security and with Medicare, but we worked to improve those cornerstones of our social safety net, not tear them down,” Congressman Huffman said. “I’m hearing countless good news stories about the ACA… There are too many good things happening with health care reform to go back to the old way of doing business.”

Watch Congressman Huffman’s speech HERE:

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A transcript of Congressman Huffman’s remarks may be found below:

“Mr. Speaker, some of my colleagues want to go back to the old way of doing business on health insurance. We can’t return to the days when people with preexisting conditions were denied coverage and women were asked to pay more—simply because they’re women.

We know that the ACA rollout has not been perfect. We knew all along that a reform this wide-ranging would require some adaptive management. It happened with Social Security and with Medicare, but we worked to improve those cornerstones of our social safety net, not tear them down. So let’s work to fix the problems of the ACA.

But let’s tell the whole story, including the good parts of the law. In California, we’re on track to meet our enrollment goals: tens of thousands of people are already enrolled.

I’m hearing countless good news stories about the ACA: a mom whose son was hospitalized with a brain tumor who would have hit a lifetime cap. But now they have coverage and they can focus on that child’s recovery. A constituent in Trinity County who he and his wife just emailed me: they’re buying a car with the savings that they’re achieving because of the ACA. And dozens and dozens more success stories because of this law.

I hope my Republican colleagues will in fixing the problems with this law and give it a chance to work. There are too many good things happening with health care reform to go back to the old way of doing business.”


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