Michael Burgess

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 308, I call up the bill (H.R. 2192) to amend the Public Health Service Act to eliminate the non-application of certain State waiver provisions to Members of Congress and congressional staff, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on H.R. 2192.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, after 7 years, we have heard the stories from our constituents, from our patients, from our friends, from our families who have suffered under the Affordable Care Act. Today, we will have a chance to vote on a plan that will rescue and revitalize the market and lower costs and increase flexibility for patients to choose and keep a health insurance plan that works for them and their family. However, before we can do that, we have to pass a bill that will ensure that Members of Congress and their staffs are treated the same way as the rest of America. So let's be clear. We firmly believe that Members of Congress should live by the same rules as everyone else, period. The bill we are considering now will make a simple technical correction to ensure that the American Health Care Act and its amendments apply equally to everyone when signed into law. Over the last several months, we have worked thoughtfully and thoroughly with our colleagues in the Senate to achieve our shared goal of repealing and replacing ObamaCare. Throughout these discussions, we have come to better appreciate and better understand the other Chamber's reconciliation limitations. As a result, we have drafted the American Health Care Act with constant awareness of what the slightest misstep may mean for the legislation's privileged status or that 51- vote threshold in the other body. Some might say it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than to draft House policy to Senate procedure, but we are confident that we have achieved that challenging feat. One of the limitations we have come to respect is that no committee other than the Senate Committee on Finance or the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions can receive a jurisdictional referral. For example, if we were to cross-reference multi-State plans established by the Affordable Care Act, we would get a referral to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee because those plans are under the Office of Personnel Management. So let's be clear, congressional healthcare operates as a small group plan within the District of Columbia's SHOP Exchange. This was a decision that was made by the Obama administration. So for waivers impacting the essential health benefits of age rating, which impacts both the individual and small group markets, Members of Congress and our staffs would be treated the same. As far as community rating, this impacts only the individual market, so no group plans, including Members of Congress or our staffs, would be impacted. Even so, in an attempt to be crystal clear, today we are passing a bill, out of fairness and transparency, to ensure that Congress operates under the same laws as private citizens, a principle that both Republicans and Democrats should support. My thanks to Representative McSally for her leadership on this issue. Her bill helps deliver us a step closer to fulfilling our promise. Today we will fulfill our promise to provide relief from the higher costs and the dwindling choices for patients under the Affordable Care Act. Today we will repeal and replace ObamaCare with a better solution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Ms. McSally), the author of the bill.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie), the vice chairman of the Health Subcommittee on Energy and Commerce.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I would point out that within the State of Illinois, there were eight plans in 2015. There are five plans in 2017 with a 57 percent increase in premiums. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Johnson), a valuable member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Olson).

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), a valuable member of the Health Subcommittee on the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, directed to the Chair, I would just make note of the fact in North Carolina, there were three plans offered in 2015, down to two plans in 2017, premium increase of 82 percent. Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg), another member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes. Mr. Speaker, I wish to now speak to the underlying MacArthur amendment that the McSally bill is here to modify. The MacArthur amendment specifically would allow States to waive three of ObamaCare's costliest mandates. Let me stress that again. It would allow States-- not require States; it would allow States to waive three of ObamaCare's costliest mandates, essential health benefits, age ratings, and community rating. In waiving these Federal mandates, health insurers would not be allowed to discriminate by gender or preexisting condition, and no one would be denied coverage, period. Here is how it works: a State may apply to waive essential health benefits or to increase the age rating ratio from the bill's underlying 5-to-1 ratio. They may also change the way individuals who have not maintained continuous coverage are charged for their healthcare plan, but only if the State has a risk-sharing program in place, like the Federal Invisible Risk Sharing Program established by the Palmer- Schweikert amendment. In order to receive a waiver, a State must explain to the Secretary of Health and Human Services how the program will reduce average premiums for patients, increase enrollment for residents, stabilize the State's health insurance market, stabilize premiums for individuals living with preexisting conditions, or increase the patient's healthcare options. It is important to note that in providing assistance to reduce premiums or other out-of-pocket costs, for individuals who may be subject to an increase in their monthly premiums because they reside in a State with an approved waiver, have a preexisting condition, are uninsured because they have not maintained continuous coverage and they purchase health insurance on the individual market, there will be $138 billion to assist with premium assistance. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter), another valuable member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and a member of the Health Subcommittee.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I would point out that, in the State of Florida, there were 10 insurance plans available in the individual market in 2015, down to 5 plans in 2017, with a 24 percent premium increase. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Collins), who is a very valuable member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Dunn), who is a very valuable Member of Congress and a fellow physician.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to the time remaining.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Griffith), who is a valuable member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe), who is a fellow physician and the chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Black), the chairman of the Budget Committee.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie), the vice chairman of the Health Subcommittee on the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden), the chairman of the full Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 20 seconds to the gentleman from Oregon.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie), the vice chairman of the Subcommittee on Health.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Rice).

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to the time remaining.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute. I do want to take a minute today to thank the superior team we have in the House Legislative Counsel. They have put in many man hours and woman hours to draft this bill that is being considered here in the House today. Specifically I want to thank Ed Grossman, Jessica Shapiro, Michelle Vanek, and Jesse Cross for their devotion to the people of the United States in helping us draft this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.