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U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12) tonight blasted Republican’s proposal to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) during markup in the Energy and Commerce Committee for negatively impacting seniors, children and working families. The bill would end Medicaid expansion, known as Healthy Michigan, raise costs for seniors, and result in nearly 700,000 Michiganders losing their health care coverage. 

Video of Dingell’s remarks can be viewed here. 
Excerpts of the speech can be read below. 

“I strongly believe the best test of our nation’s values is how we treat the most vulnerable among us – people who during difficult times have nowhere to turn.  This is one of the most fundamental roles of government – helping our fellow neighbor who’s down on their luck.  That’s part of who we are as Americans. 

“When judged by this test, this ACA repeal bill before us fails miserably.  This bill would be an absolute catastrophe for senior citizens, mothers, children, and those with complex medical conditions.”
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“This bill also ends the Medicaid expansion, which has been so successful in my home state of Michigan.  The program was championed – and is still championed – by a Republican governor and has covered nearly 700,000 people.  

“Why would we turn our backs on this?  This bill not only ends the successful Medicaid expansion program but it rations care under Medicaid.  I find it unconscionable that we are using a program that provides critical health care services to over 70 million of the most vulnerable Americans as a piggy bank to pay for the cost of repealing taxes on the wealthy.”
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“Finally, let’s not forget the progress the ACA has made in extending health coverage that coverage to over 20 million Americans.

“Before it, the uninsured rate was 18 percent nationally.  Almost 47 million Americans did not have health insurance.  Today, the rate is down to 10.5 percent. 

“So the question to this Committee is: will this bill improve upon those gains or will it turn the clock back?  So while we are all waiting eagerly for the CBO score, you don’t need to be an economist to figure out that slashing Medicaid, making seniors pay more, and cutting critical financial support to help make insurance more affordable will result in American people…losing their healthcare.”

Dingell’s full remarks can be read below.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think a lot of people in this room have amnesia and are remembering a utopia that I don’t remember. 

I worked for the auto industry back in the time that we were passing this bill, and the reality was that the cost of health care was more than the cost of steel in an automobile. 

And people couldn’t get access to insurance. More than 62 percent of the personal bankruptcies that were happening in this country were due to the medical costs that people had, and people simply couldn’t afford insurance. 

And here’s another reality: the average family premiums for employer coverage grew just five percent between 2010 and 2016 compared with an average of eight to ten percent annually for the previous decade. 

And I did a quick Google and I can find as many stories as you all have about what was happening to people’s personal insurance benefits that were going up – that cost 20 percent, 24 percent.

And here’s a reality, since this bill passed more than 20 million Americans have gained access and coverage because they could now afford insurance. 

There are so many issues with this bill I’m finding it hard to start – where to begin. 

I strongly believe the best test of our nation’s values is how we treat the most vulnerable among us – people who during difficult times have nowhere to turn.  This is one of the most fundamental roles of government – helping our fellow neighbor who’s down on their luck.  That’s part of who we are as Americans. 

When judged by this test, this ACA repeal bill before us fails miserably.  This bill would be an absolute catastrophe for senior citizens, mothers, children, and those with complex medical conditions. 

Let’s start with senior citizens.  They are facing a war on two fronts with this repeal bill – a new “age tax” that will drastically increase costs seniors pay for their healthcare, and they will have to deal with rationed care under the Medicaid program.  

The number one thing I hear from seniors back home is how scared they are. Most of them are living on a fixed income, and they are looking for support in how to lower the costs they face, not increase them.  And for any senior watching this today, this repeal bill will mean more costs and fewer benefits for you. 

This bill also ends the Medicaid expansion, which has been so successful in my home state of Michigan.  The program was championed – and is still championed – by a Republican governor and has covered nearly 700,000 people.  But the story doesn’t end there.  

The Healthy Michigan plan is widely supported by our business community and by healthcare providers because of the economic impact it brings to our state.  A report by the University of Michigan, which I would ask unanimous consent to put in the record, found that Medicaid expansion is responsible for adding 39,000 jobs in our state in just 2016.  Two thirds of these new jobs are outside the healthcare sector. 

Medicaid expansion is also responsible for increasing personal income in the state by over $2 billion each year through 2021.  

Why would we turn our backs on this?  This bill not only ends the successful Medicaid expansion program but it rations care under Medicaid.  I find it unconscionable that we are using a program that provides critical health care services to over 70 million of the most vulnerable Americans as a piggy bank to pay for the cost of repealing taxes on the wealthy.

Finally, let’s not forget the progress the ACA has made in extending health coverage that coverage to over 20 million Americans.

Before it, the uninsured rate was 18 percent nationally.  Almost 47 million Americans did not have health insurance.  Today, the rate is down to 10.5 percent. 

So the question to this Committee is: will this bill improve upon those gains or will it turn the clock back?  So while we are all waiting eagerly for the CBO score, you don’t need to be an economist to figure out that slashing Medicaid, making seniors pay more, and cutting critical financial support to help make insurance more affordable will result in American people, many of them, losing their healthcare.