David Cicilline

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, just yesterday I had the privilege of hearing from a Rhode Islander, Alex Lataille, who spoke at the one and only hearing Congress had to discuss the negative effects of repealing the new health care law. Alex graduated last May with two bachelor's degrees, and while looking for a job after graduation, he is able to afford health insurance because he can stay on his parents' policy. Repealing this law means Alex and millions of Americans will lose their coverage. I also recently spoke to Beth, a woman from Woonsocket, Rhode Island. She told me she's an insurance agent. She sells insurance every single day, but she's denied access to coverage because of her preexisting condition. Repealing this law would mean she would again be denied access to health care. She said, Please do not let them take my health care. I was sent here to find practical solutions to solve the problems facing Rhode Island families. Let's work to improve this law, not repeal it.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Small business tax credits are critical to providing small businesses the opportunity to provide insurance to their employees. We made a promise to those small businesses to do everything we can to make it easier for them to thrive in this economy, and this is a good first step. I urge my colleagues to vote against this repeal.

Mr. CICILLINE. I thank the gentlelady for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 2. We know that if we repeal this law, we know the following things will happen: Children with preexisting conditions will be denied coverage; adult children under the age of 26 will be denied coverage under their parents' policy; seniors will pay more for their prescription drugs; and small businesses will once again go back to paying nearly 20 percent more than their corporate counterparts for providing the same health care coverage; small businesses would lose the incentive for providing coverage to their employees and an up to 50 percent tax credit which has already increased coverage at small firms by more than 10 percent. They would lose the ability to grow their businesses and create jobs by using that tax credit to hire additional employees. This law establishes consumer protections, incentivizes wellness programs, and establishes cost controls and cost-cutting exchanges. For small businesses, that means driving down the cost of providing health insurance and providing assistance for small businesses that are struggling with skyrocketing premiums. Currently, small businesses pay, on average, 18 percent more than large businesses for the same coverage, and health insurance premiums have gone up three times faster than wages in the past 10 years.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution and in honor of the victims and those left suffering as a result of last weekend's devastating tragedy in Arizona. In what can only be described as a brutal act of domestic terrorism, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, members of her staff, and other members of the Tucson community are now fighting for their lives. And six innocent others, including a 9-year-old little girl and the Congresswoman's director of community outreach, Gabe Zimmerman, gave the ultimate sacrifice in the exercise of our democracy. This tragedy gives us great pause as we begin the work of the 112th Congress and serves as a painful reminder that our democracy is built upon the ability of our citizens to participate fully in their democracy, and we must protect that. These have been tragic hours for our country, for those who lost loved ones, and for those who were injured and their families. On behalf of the people of the First District of Rhode Island and my colleague, Congressman Jim Langevin of the Second District, we send our sincerest condolences from our entire State to all those who have lost a loved one as a result of this hideous attack. We also extend our thoughts and prayers to Congresswoman Giffords, her staff and her constituents, all of whom were victims of this tragedy. And we pray that those injured have a speedy and full recovery. May God grant our Nation and all the victims peace and comfort. And may we renew our commitment to the ideals that have made America great, including the free exchange of ideas and a democracy that continues to listen carefully to the people we serve.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. ``The judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by citizens of another State, or by citizens or subjects of any foreign state.''