Bradley Byrne

Mr. BYRNE

Mr. BYRNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would say to my colleague and to the House, I did indeed have 11 townhalls 2 weeks ago after the bill he references passed. It didn't come up one time because the American people understand what that was all about, that there were two different Federal agencies battling over something, and it didn't even solve the problem. The agency that put that regulation out didn't have the authority to do it, and it didn't solve the problem. The American people are sick and tired of agencies that don't have the authority to go out there and they do something, and it doesn't solve the problem. If we want to get to the issue that my friend wants to get to, which I think is important, we ought to get to, let's work together in a bipartisan fashion and come up with a bipartisan, comprehensive bill that addresses that. I would really like to be a part of that. But that is not what we are here today about. We are here today about this bill to provide flexibility to working people in the 21st century, particularly millennials. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BYRNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I thank Congresswoman Roby for being the sponsor of this bill and bringing it forward. As a young woman herself, she understands what's going on in the workplace with people her age and how they try to juggle all the demands of their time. She has come up with a very commonsense approach to how we can deal with this in a way that makes sense for everybody. We just heard a lot about the labor movement and big bosses. I got transported back in my mind. You would have thought we were in the 1930s and 1940s. I don't know if my colleague from Colorado has been paying attention, but union membership is at its lowest level since the 1940s right now because, even after 8 years of the most pro-union administration in decades, union membership continues to fall, and it continues to fall because workers in America aren't buying what they are selling because a lot of what they are selling is exactly what we hear is the opposition to this bill, which is: Let's limit people; let's restrict people; let's come up with all these things to tell them what they can't do instead of telling them what they can. What the American people want, what I heard in my townhall meetings, they want the government off their back so that they can make their own choices and live their lives the way they want to live them. This is really true with the millennial generation. I have four children who are adults right now. They are millennials. They really want to have flexibility in their lives, and this bill, Congresswoman Roby's bill, gets a little way toward that. I don't see why we would be against trying to give not just young workers, but all workers, that flexibility. I have heard the arguments, and I have heard them several times now. I have just got to tell you, they make no sense to me. Perhaps they are something that made sense 50, 60, 70 years ago, but they don't make any sense in 2017. It is a different time. It is a different day. Let's give the workers of America some freedom and flexibility because that is what they really want. Mr. Speaker, I again urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 299 and the underlying bill.

Mr. BYRNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. BYRNE

Mr. BYRNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the life of Mr. William Adams Kimbrough, Jr. Billy, as he was known, was a leader in the Mobile community and a former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama. Billy was born in Selma and grew up in Thomasville. He attended the University of the South, or Sewanee, where he was a member of the football team and active in campus affairs. He later graduated from the University of Alabama School of Law. Under President John F. Kennedy, Billy served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney before working in the legal department at the GM&O Railroad in Mobile. He later joined the law firm of Stockman & Bedsole. In 1977, President Jimmy Carter appointed him to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama. He held his position until 1981. Following his service as U.S. Attorney, Billy joined the law firm of Turner Onderdonk where he practiced law until his retirement in 2012. Billy was a proud Mobilian and participated in many groups and organizations around Southwest Alabama. He was active in politics throughout his life and took part in many political campaigns. He also worked with the Greater Gulf State Fair, of which he was the President in 1967. He was also a man of strong and steady faith. He sang in the choir and taught Sunday School at Dauphin Way United Methodist Church in Mobile. He took great pride in seeing his church grow and flourish. Sadly, Billy passed away on March 31st after a lengthy illness. Billy was more than just a colleague and fellow member of the Mobile Bar Association; he was also a friend of mine and my family. On behalf of Alabama's First Congressional District, I want to share my deepest condolences with his wife of 58 years, Kay, his two children, Mary Elizabeth and Will, and his entire family. I hope you can take great comfort in the many memories together and the fact that Billy had such a profound impact on our community, state, and country.

Mr. BYRNE

Mr. BYRNE. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 241 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. BYRNE. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave

Mr. BYRNE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. BYRNE. Mr. Speaker, in 2010, then-President Obama said: ``If you like your health insurance plan, you can keep it.'' Unfortunately, at least 4.7 million Americans now know that was simply not true. ObamaCare was a takeover of the American healthcare system. The law's mandates have been burdensome, destroying 300,000 small-business jobs and forcing an estimated 10,000 small businesses to close. Premiums are skyrocketing, and choices are dwindling. House Resolution 241 provides for the consideration of H.R. 1304, the Self-Insurance Protection Act, an important part of the Republican effort to repair the damage ObamaCare has done to insurance markets. More than 150 million Americans--62 percent of workers--receive their health insurance from their employer. In fact, almost all firms with at least 200 or more employees offer health benefits, and just over half of smaller firms with 3 to 199 employees offer health insurance. Overwhelmingly, Americans and their employers like this system of employer-sponsored health care; and for many years, employer health plans have been successfully regulated by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, or ERISA. Typically, small and large employers offer healthcare coverage to employees either in self-funded arrangements or purchase fully insured plans from an insurer. Under self-insurance plans, employers cover the costs of their employees' medical expenses. Employers can either process claims in- house or work with a third-party administrator to oversee and implement the plans. ERISA regulates both fully insured and self-insured plans, but only self-insured plans are exempt from the patchwork of mandates imposed under State insurance law. Furthermore, employer-sponsored self-insured plans are not subject to the same requirements under ObamaCare, as are fully insured plans. Thus, self-insurance plans are desirable and successful because they are free from many government restrictions and regulations and allow employers to tailor their plans to meet the unique needs of their employees and to innovate. For example, these plans do not require employees to purchase government-mandated coverage options that their employees do not want or need. This helps lower costs for working families while ensuring access to high-quality health care. In hearings before the Education and the Workforce Committee, on which I sit, we heard testimony that today self-insurance is often the only way employers can afford coverage, thanks to the burdens of ObamaCare. Mr. Speaker, in Alabama, we like to say: if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Prior to ObamaCare, there were problems in our Nation's healthcare system, but the successful model of employer self-insurance wasn't one of them. Today, self-insurance remains perhaps the best way for employers to provide health care to their workers. Unfortunately, the prior administration seemed intent on disrupting this successful healthcare model. Rather than leave self-insurance plans alone, they repeatedly explored ways to impose new regulations that would negatively impact self-insurance. Specifically, the Obama administration wanted to disrupt the model by regulating stop-loss insurance and treating it as if it were health insurance. Employers who self-insure often purchase stop-loss insurance to cover large medical claims and to protect against the financial risks such claims can pose. Despite decades of Federal regulation on employer health plans under ERISA, stop-loss insurance has never been regulated by the Federal Government. That is because stop-loss insurance is actually a financial risk management tool designed to protect employers from catastrophic claim expenses. Remarkably, in a regulatory grab, the Obama administration tried to reclassify it as ``group health insurance.'' Mr. Speaker, if the last 7 years have taught us anything, it is that more Federal control over health insurance does not make health care more affordable for the American people. Stop-loss insurance is not health insurance, and it should not be regulated like it is. The Self-Insurance Protection Act simply updates the law to make clear that Federal bureaucrats cannot redefine stop-loss insurance as group health insurance. This is about reaffirming longstanding policies and ensuring workers continue to have access to a health insurance model that is proven to lower costs and provide flexibility to consumers. This bill will provide workers and employers alike with the regulatory certainty that they have desperately wanted and needed. They shouldn't have to worry about unelected Federal bureaucrats stepping in and destroying their healthcare system. To put it simply, this bill is necessary in order to prevent future bureaucratic overreach that would destroy the self-insurance model that has been so successful for so many working families. I also think this bill is an area where we should have some bipartisan cooperation. It passed out of the Education and the Workforce Committee earlier this year on a voice vote, and I hope it earns bipartisan support here in the full House. As we continue our efforts to increase choices, lower costs, and provide better healthcare options for working families, let us not forget to shore up and protect the health insurance programs that are actually working and getting the job done. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 241 and the underlying bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BYRNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Florida said that the Moon is not the Sun. Well, stop-loss insurance is not health insurance, but the Obama administration tried to make it so. Because they tried to make it so, we need to put into statutory law what I think we all agree on both sides of the aisle not only is the law but should be the law so that there is no question about it in the future. It is unfortunate we have to do that, but, because of some of the actions of the prior administration, it is necessary. He talked about the strong foundation of the ACA, ObamaCare. That foundation is crumbling beneath the program. We now have more insurers jumping out of exchanges. My home State of Alabama is down to one carrier on the exchange. Soon enough, we may find that, in Alabama, like some other States, there are no carriers. This isn't a foundation. It is a foundation made of sand--and the sand is leaking out. Something has to be done. Today's bill is a step--not the only step--in that direction. I know my colleagues on the other side of the aisle agree with what we are doing here in substance, and I wish we would just come together and get this bill done so that we can assure that the self-insured smaller employers and larger employers have the protection that they need for the working families that participate in their programs. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BYRNE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time to close.

Mr. BYRNE. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Florida for his remarks. I completely agree with him. Both parties should be working together to make sure that we provide what we can reasonably for the health care of the people of America, and we should be collaborating, not just in this House across the aisle but in the Senate as well. I think it is a good place to start right here with this bill because we really don't have a substantive disagreement about this bill. Both sides understand that stop-loss insurance is not health insurance. It is just the Obama administration tried to turn it into that. This bill would stop that and bring the certainty we need back to these self-insured plans that mainly small employers have and make sure that we have in place for working families across America a system that is working for them and maintain that. I hope that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will join with us, will collaborate with us, and that our colleagues in the other House, in the Senate, will do as well and pass this legislation because it truly is bipartisan in substance and, I hope today, in the vote. Mr. Speaker, I again urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 241 and the underlying bill.

Mr. BYRNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. BYRNE

Mr. BYRNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share my deep appreciation to Alex Schriver for his years of service to Alabama's First Congressional District. Alex's last day serving the people of Southwest Alabama was Friday, March 31st. Alex has served as the Chief of Staff in my Congressional office since I was sworn in on January 8, 2014. In this role, he has overseen my entire Congressional staff, served as my primary policy advisor, managed day-to-day operations of the office, and so much more. As it is often said, it is the job of the Chief of Staff to keep the train on the tracks, and Alex has done exactly that while building out a team of first-rate individuals. That is a testament to his strong leadership and steady demeanor. Alex grew up in Tennessee and graduated from Auburn University. I first met him in 2009 during my gubernatorial campaign. It did not take long for me to realize that Alex was not your average campaign staffer. He would always go above and beyond and possessed a keen instinct that made him a valued member of the campaign team. Alex went on to serve as the Chairman of the College Republican National Committee, where he oversaw 75 full-time staff and a record budget of $16 million. In that role, he helped champion important conservative values and shape the national message. When I decided to run for Congress in the 2013 special election, Alex was the obvious choice to serve as the campaign manager for my special election campaign. Special elections are particularly challenging given the dynamics surrounding them. As a testament to his aptitude and leadership, I was able to win a nine-person primary and go on to win the general election in December. Alex has a rare blend of passion, confidence, compassion, knowledge, and toughness that has allowed him to be successful in his career. As he leaves my staff to move into the position of Senior Vice President at Targeted Victory, I have no doubt he will continue to be successful due to the same core qualities. Mr. Speaker, Alex has been a dedicated and devoted member of my team, and he has served the people of Alabama's First Congressional District exceedingly well. I wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors.

Mr. BYRNE

Mr. BYRNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Principal Julie Pierce of Fairhope Elementary School on being selected as Alabama's National Distinguished Principal of 2017. This is a remarkable and extraordinary achievement, and it shows Ms. Pierce's steadfast dedication to the young men and women she has taught and guided throughout her distinguished career that has spanned over 27 years. A native of Oneonta, Ms. Pierce graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in business and began work as an accountant before embarking on her career in education. She obtained her master's degree in Elementary Education from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and later a certificate in Educational Leadership from the University of South Alabama. Prior to her time at Fairhope Elementary School, Ms. Pierce served as principal of Gulf Shores Elementary, assistant principal at J. Larry Newton School, reading coach at Summerdale School, second grade teacher in Guntersville and Albertville, and fifth grade teacher in Orlando, Florida. Ms. Pierce has been shaping our nation's youth for over a quarter century, giving them the tools they need to succeed in life. Having spent much of my public life working in education policy, I have had the opportunity to spend a lot of time in our local classrooms. I am always struck by the hard work these men and women do on a daily basis, and they rarely get the attention they deserve. Great educators really care about their students and work very hard to get the most out of them. It is clear Ms. Pierce possesses these very important qualities. So, on behalf of Alabama's First Congressional District, I want to thank Principal Julie Pierce for her dedicated service and congratulate her on being selected as Alabama's 2017 National Distinguished Principal.

Mr. BYRNE

Mr. BYRNE. Mr. Speaker, 7 years ago yesterday, the Affordable Care Act, or ObamaCare, became law. Since then, this law has resulted in canceled plans, higher premiums, fewer choices, increased deductibles, and less freedom for the American people. Don't just take my word for it. Former Democratic President Bill Clinton said this about ObamaCare: `` . . . the people who are out there busting it, sometimes 60 hours a week, wind up with their premiums doubled and their coverage cut in half, and it's the craziest thing in the world.'' I tend to agree with President Clinton on this. ObamaCare is crazy. But for far too many Americans, it is the crazy reality they face every day. So today is about a rescue mission. Today is about bringing relief to the families who are struggling under this failed law. Today it is about passing the American Health Care Act. ObamaCare is on a collision course with disaster. If Congress were to sit back and do nothing, ObamaCare would implode. This would leave millions of Americans with no insurance and the overall insurance market in a dangerous condition for the rest of us. So Congress must act. That is where the American Health Care Act comes into play. This bill repeals ObamaCare along with its costly taxes and burdensome mandates. By doing this, we can lower premiums for hardworking Americans. Most importantly, this bill gives Americans the freedoms, choices, and control they desperately want and deserve. So, Mr. Speaker, the vote today is for the family in Monroeville who can't afford their premiums. The vote is for the small-business owner in Daphne who had his plan canceled. The vote is for the mother in Mobile whose deductible is too high. The vote is for the people in southwest Alabama and across all of America who are struggling under ObamaCare. This is our chance. This is the bill. We have got to get this done.

Mr. BYRNE

Mr. BYRNE. Mr. Speaker, it is written in Philippians 4:6: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. As this body debates important issues, it is critical we begin with prayer. I am honored my constituent Pastor Chris Bell was able to lead today's prayer. Mr. Speaker, Pastor Bell studied theology and communications at the University of Mobile and Luther Rice Seminary, and he has over 20 years of ministry experience. Pastor Bell is currently the lead pastor at 3 Circle Church in southwest Alabama. 3 Circle Church has five campuses, with weekly attendance reaching over 2,000 people. In addition to their regular services, Pastor Bell and 3 Circle Church have a focus on mission and serving others locally, regionally, and around the world. These missions make a real difference. So on behalf of Alabama's First Congressional District, it is an honor to welcome Chris and his wife, Nan, to the people's House.

Mr. BYRNE

Mr. BYRNE. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 210 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. BYRNE. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave

Mr. BYRNE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. BYRNE. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 210 provides for consideration of H.R. 1101, the Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2017. President Trump promised to repeal and replace ObamaCare, which is negatively affecting our economy and causing great hardship on the American people. Congress is responding this week with multiple bills to do just that. After years of endless premium increases, we must take steps to make health insurance more accessible and affordable, including for small businesses that employ the majority of Americans. H.R. 1101, the Small Business Health Fairness Act, will do just that by helping to level inequalities between large and small employers, ultimately making health insurance more affordable for millions of Americans. Simply put, the Small Business Health Fairness Act will empower small businesses to band together through association health plans to purchase health insurance. This will allow them to increase their bargaining power, negotiating for lower health insurance rates on behalf of their employees, just like their large competitors do. Additionally, the bill will allow their plans to fall under the Employee Retiree Income Security Act of 1974, or ERISA, and the Department of Labor, just like the large self-funded employer plans, preempting a myriad of State regulations that often make insurance unaffordable for small businesses. The usefulness of this legislation is easy to imagine. For example, a small accounting firm might employ just three or four people while the largest firms employ tens of thousands. If that small firm could join together with others just like it to provide health insurance through their national association, it could have the same bargaining power and be subject to the same regulation as the firm with thousands of employees. This parity means more options and lower costs for employers and employees. Mr. Speaker, our Nation's small businesses were hit especially hard by the passage of ACA. In fact, a 2016 survey by the National Federation of Independent Businesses found that small businesses identified the cost of health care as their number one challenge. An estimated 300,000 small-business jobs were destroyed, and an estimated 10,000 small businesses closed altogether due to the failed ObamaCare policies. Since 2008, 36 percent of all small businesses with fewer than 10 employees have stopped offering healthcare coverage. This has resulted in less overall healthcare options for working families. ObamaCare's compliance costs and mandates have resulted in $19 billion in lost wages for small-business employees. The bottom line is that small businesses--the backbone of our Nation's economy--and their employees are feeling the pain of ObamaCare's failures and broken promises. I meet with these small-business owners from south Alabama every day. They want to take care of their employees and provide them with high- quality health insurance. Through enacting the Small Business Health Fairness Act, we can help thousands of small businesses achieve that goal. Mr. Speaker, I also want to point out that this legislation includes strong protections to ensure association health plans are solvent and that the families covered by them are indeed protected. A sponsor of a plan must be a bona fide trade, industry, or professional organization and can't be established for the purpose of providing medical care. The sponsor must have existed for a period of at least 3 consecutive years before providing group health insurance coverage. The association health plan must be operated by a board of trustees and will be supervised by the Department of Labor. This will include minimum capital requirements and a requirement that plans have a stop-loss and solvency insurance. Finally and most importantly, the bill prohibits association health plans from discriminating based upon health status and preexisting conditions. Mr. Speaker, the Small Business Health Fairness Act is about ensuring our Nation's small businesses are afforded the same opportunities given to large corporations and labor unions. When similar legislation has been brought to the floor in the past, it has received strong bipartisan support, as I hope this bill will today. Ultimately, this bill is just one part of our larger plan to rescue the American people from the failures of ObamaCare. This week, the House intends to vote to repeal ObamaCare, along with its mandates and its taxes. But we do also understand that the pre-ObamaCare status quo is not acceptable. That is why the House is already moving to consider bills to give Americans the freedom, choices, and control they deserve. Our solutions are built on free market and patient-centered principles. By getting the government out of the way and increasing competition, we can draw down costs and help Americans obtain health care that actually works for them. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 210 and the underlying bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BYRNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. My colleague from Colorado raised an important question: What are the Republicans trying to accomplish here? It is pretty simple. We are trying to give freedom and choice back to the American people who lost their freedom and choice and control over their healthcare plans, who lost freedom and control over their health care because of an ill- considered law passed by this Congress several years ago. He talked about the cost to American consumers. If you want to pass something that is going to increase cost to American consumers, this Congress did that several years ago. Look at the dramatic increase in healthcare insurance premiums, the dramatic increase in people's deductibles that have occurred since the Affordable Care Act--the so- called Affordable Care Act--was passed here in Congress several years ago. We are trying to reverse that. We are trying to get control back. And, in fact, we know from the Congressional Budget Office score that it will lower premiums by 10 percent. We haven't seen premiums go lower in years. So if they want to know what we are trying to accomplish, it is plain on its face. The gentleman referred to some amendments that he offered in committee. Every one of those amendments was ruled nongermane. And for those of us that maybe don't understand a lot about what ``germane'' means, it is pretty simple. You can't offer amendments to a bill that aren't related to the subject matter of the bill. The chairwoman of the committee ruled that he offered amendments that weren't germane to the bill that we have today. So the gentleman didn't lose because people were trying to lock him out of the process. He just offered amendments that had nothing to do with the underlying bill. He talked about the fact that this underlying bill for the rule we have today will lure away young and healthy workers. 1415 Let me say it again. I said this in my principal remarks. Under this bill, none of these association health plans can discriminate against anybody. They can't do that. They can't say we are only going to let young or healthy people in the plan. They have to admit everyone. So there is no discrimination here. Everyone will be covered. And remember how many people in America work for small businesses. All types of Americans work for small businesses. We are not trying to hurt them. We are trying to give them more opportunities to get better health insurance that will cost less money. And if there was anything in here that would cause discrimination, we would have heard long and hard about that before this point. I would suggest to you, Mr. Speaker, that that is not a relevant argument to this particular bill. Every plan that is going to be under this bill must comply with the regulations of the Department of Labor, just like big corporation plans have to comply with the regulations of the Department of Labor. We are simply treating small businesses through these associations the same way we treat big corporations. We have essentially denied to the employees of small businesses the same opportunities to get good health insurance at a lower cost that their colleagues that work for bigger corporations get. The reason the bigger corporations have this is because the Department of Labor comes up with a nationwide rule so you don't have all these different variations from State to State and allows for those big companies to do the things that they can do so very well because of their size to get better health care for an affordable cost for their employees. We are giving the same thing to these small businesses through their associations. And remember, this is not just one bill. We actually just passed a rule. We will be considering another bill that will exempt, from the provisions of McCarran-Ferguson, health insurance so we get more competition into the health insurance market. This bill is on top of that. It is on top of the AHCA that we will be considering later this week and other bills that will be coming, because there are a host of things that we are doing on this side of the aisle to make sure we restore freedom and choice and affordable care to the people of our country. We are not removing people from health insurance in any of the bills that we are doing. We are giving them the freedom to choose. And that is what America is really all about: the freedom to choose. Right now we are coercing, by law, people to go out and buy health insurance that they don't want. That shouldn't be done in America. We are going to give them their freedom back. And if they chose not to buy health insurance, that is their right as Americans. That is not taking something away from somebody. That is giving them their freedom back. So I would suggest to the gentleman that, if he wants to look for something that is going to help the workers of America, this bill and the other bills that our side of the aisle are proposing will do just that. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Dunn).

Mr. BYRNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the manager's amendment that has been referred to was put on a public website last night. Everyone in the House of Representatives will have 3 days to read the manager's amendment. There is nothing secret about it. Bills are not written in front of cameras. They are written so that they can be put on public websites for all of us to see it. This manager's amendment was handled like many, many other manager's amendments are handled, including the way manager's amendments have been handled by the other side when they were in the majority. Let's remember, in 2010 when the reconciliation bill was passed that established the ACA, no amendments were allowed on the floor--none, zero. So if there is a precedent that has been set in this House, it was set by my friends on the other side of the aisle when they passed the Affordable Care Act and wouldn't allow any amendments by any Member of the House. That is the precedent. There is nothing new about the way this manager's amendment was handled. It was handled the way manager's amendments are handled virtually all the time. Everybody in this House now has a copy of it, has plenty of time to read it and ask questions about it. Nothing secret going on here. The truth of the matter is that we are moving forward with our plan, as we said we were, to repeal and replace ObamaCare, to give freedom and choice back to the people of America so that patients control their health care, not a bureaucrat in Washington. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BYRNE. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. BYRNE. As far as I know, speaking back to the gentleman from Colorado, the manager's amendments that were posted last night are going to be the manager's amendments that we will consider tomorrow in the Rules Committee.

Mr. BYRNE. Mr. Speaker, I am ready to answer the question. We believe that we will be receiving the CBO table prior to the vote on the floor of the House of Representatives.