Virginia Foxx

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 241, I call up the bill (H.R. 1304) to amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude from the definition of health insurance coverage certain medical stop-loss insurance obtained by certain plan sponsors of group health plans, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 1304.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1304, the Self-Insurance Protection Act. Mr. Speaker, across the country, hardworking men and women are struggling to afford rising healthcare costs, and their options continue to drop year after year. At the same time, employers, large and small, are finding it harder to provide the type of high-quality, affordable healthcare coverage their employees need. With over 150 Americans relying on an employer-sponsored health plan, Congress must do everything possible to ensure employers have the tools they need to help control healthcare costs for working families. Preserving access to self insurance is one simple step we can take as part of that effort. More than 60 percent of employers who offer healthcare coverage choose to self-insure. This means that instead of purchasing a plan from an insurance company, employers pay their employees' healthcare costs directly. As a result, the employers have greater flexibility to structure a healthcare plan to the unique needs of workers and their families. Although these plans provide important protections, they are free from certain restrictive rules that force workers to purchase one-size- fits-all benefits that they may not want or need. Self-insurance is a popular option that often leads to lower health insurance premiums for workers and their families. In years with below average medical claims, any remaining healthcare dollars can help offset premiums for workers the following year, or can be used to help create new jobs and higher wages. It is not just private sector employers who like the flexibility and affordability of self-insured health coverage. It is also embraced by labor organizations, schools, cities, and counties. Of course, there is some level of risk associated with these plans. That is why employers purchase stop-loss insurance, so that employees can count on their healthcare coverage when they need it. Because it simply serves as a financial backstop to an actual health insurance policy, stop-loss has never been regulated as health insurance by the Federal Government. Never. But as we all know, the previous administration had a constant urge to regulate practically every aspect of American life, regardless of the consequences. It was only a matter of time before the Obama administration made stop-loss insurance one of its regulatory targets, even though many employers would find it nearly impossible to self- insure as a result. Limiting a popular free-market healthcare option that millions of Americans rely on was a price they were willing to pay in order to push their government-run healthcare scheme. Fortunately for working families, the Obama administration was unsuccessful, and we now have a new administration committed to expanding, not limiting, affordable healthcare options. However, all this highlights the need to protect access to self-insurance. Employers need long-term certainty when it comes to the healthcare benefits they provide, and working families deserve peace of mind that they won't lose the plan they like because of a partisan, unnecessary Federal regulation. The Self-Insurance Protection Act provides that certainty and peace of mind by reaffirming existing law and preventing Federal bureaucrats from regulating stop-loss as health insurance. There is more we can and should do to promote affordable healthcare coverage for working families. This legislation is one small step we can take to ensure Americans can continue to benefit from flexible healthcare plans that help lower costs. I urge my colleagues to stand up for affordable healthcare options for workers and employers by voting in favor of H.R. 1304. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Mitchell) who is a member of our committee.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, we all want workers and employers to have access to high-quality, affordable healthcare coverage, and that is exactly what this legislation is about. Our Nation faces significant healthcare challenges. Costs are soaring, and choices are diminishing. This legislation will in no way address all of these challenges; however, it is one step we can take to protect access to affordable healthcare options for workers and employers. Let's give workers and employers who rely on self-insured healthcare plans a little bit of certainty and peace of mind today by passing this commonsense legislation. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to vote in favor of the Self-Insurance Protection Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion at the desk.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, last month I had the privilege of meeting Lisa and Chad Smith and their charming son Jamil during a visit to Newland, North Carolina, in the Fifth District. The Smiths are the proprietors of Forage Soaps, which began in 2014 with a $50 purchase of supplies and a trip to the Avery County Farmers Market to sell their first batch of wild-crafted soaps made in their kitchen. Wild-crafted refers to plants collected from their natural or indigenous habitat. The Smiths handpicked these botanicals fresh from the trail with minimal environmental impact to ensure long-term sustainability. Well, that first batch turned into a second batch and a third batch, and so on. As they continued to make soap, they bought better equipment and invested in larger orders of supplies. Word spread about their soap, and before they knew it, the Smiths were receiving invitations to attend craft and artisan shows. They were invited to put their soap in several local galleries, and it wasn't long before they were filling their first wholesale order. Today their business includes a retail location that also functions as their studio as well as several small satellite locations and an online store. Chad works for Mountain Electric Cooperative full time, and Lisa has a master's degree in organic chemistry and biology. She has been making soap for more than 20 years. The Smiths adopted Jamil when he was 18 months old. They were told he would never be able to speak and may never be able to walk. Today he does both and is attending school and thriving with their loving care. He even helps out with the business, where he loves to mix oils and wild-craft herbs. Their older children help with deliveries and during special events, while their grandchildren like to come on weekends to help stock shelves and run the cash register. It is truly a family affair. Lisa likes to say she and Chad built their business one bar of soap at a time. They didn't take out business loans or expect to be an overnight success. Instead, they started small and grew a little bit at a time, working long, hard hours, and eventually reinvesting in their business. The Smiths are living proof that one can achieve the American Dream through hard work. It is an honor to represent them in Congress. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Gaetz). The Florida Everglades

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to mourn the loss of John Crutcher, who passed away on March 12, 2017, at the age of 100. A native of Kansas, John spent many years in public service, including teaching in a one-room school on the prairie. He was elected to a seat in the Kansas Senate and served two terms as Lieutenant Governor in his home State. In 1982, President Reagan appointed him to the Federal Postal Rate Commission, where he gained a reputation as an outspoken critic of the Postal Service. In World War II he served as a Navy officer in the Pacific theater and Korea. He retired as a captain in the U.S. Naval Reserve and always remained active in Navy organizations. A true, very modest gentleman, John was respected and beloved by all who knew him. He will be greatly missed in the mountains of North Carolina, which he came to call home after marrying his lovely wife, Edith.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, skyrocketing cost, diminished choices for patients, small businesses destroyed, fewer jobs, and lower wages, that is ObamaCare's legacy. That is what Democrats imposed on our country. We believe the American people deserve a better way, and that is what this legislation will deliver. The American Health Care Act puts the American people back in control of their health care. It restores choices, protects the most vulnerable, encourages lower healthcare costs, empowers States, and frees families and small businesses from costly taxes and mandates. Let's keep our promise to provide a better way on health care by voting ``yes'' on the American Health Care Act. Mr. Speaker, I ask the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden) to engage in a brief colloquy. Health sharing ministries play an increasingly important role in the lives of many Americans, particularly in the devastating wake of ObamaCare. In recent days, constituents have expressed concerns about the future of these healthcare plans, particularly as it relates to whether they would be considered credible coverage under the bill's continuous coverage provisions. Will Chairman Walden work with me, as the bill moves forward, to ensure we address the concerns of those who benefit from health sharing ministries?

Ms. FOXX. I yield to the gentleman from Oregon.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 15 seconds to the gentleman.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 210, I call up the bill (H.R. 1101) to amend title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to improve access and choice for entrepreneurs with small businesses with respect to medical care for their employees, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield 6 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sam Johnson), the author of the bill.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1101.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of H.R. 1101, the Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2017. Mr. Speaker, this week marks 7 years since ObamaCare was signed into law. We all remember the promises former President Obama and Washington Democrats made at the time. Families were promised that their healthcare costs would go down. They were promised more choices and more competition. Small businesses and their employees were promised greater access to affordable health care. But for 7 years, we have watched as all of those promises were broken. For 7 years, we have heard from families and small businesses across the country that have seen their healthcare costs skyrocket and their choices diminish. Members of the House Education and the Workforce Committee recently heard from Scott Bollenbacher, an Indiana small-business owner with 11 full-time employees. The company has been forced to switch healthcare plans twice now under ObamaCare, and their only viable option this year was a plan with a 78 percent premium increase. Mr. Bollenbacher is one of countless small-business owners struggling to make ends meet under a failed government takeover of health care. Because of ObamaCare, 300,000 small-business jobs have been destroyed, including nearly 8,000 in my home State of North Carolina. Additionally, an estimated 10,000 small businesses nationwide have closed their doors, and small business employees have lost $19 billion each year in wages. It should come as no surprise that, since 2008, the share of small businesses with fewer than 10 employees offering health coverage has dropped 36 percent. It is not that they don't want to; it is that onerous mandates and regulations have made it simply unaffordable to do so. Fortunately, relief is on the way. This week we are not only moving to repeal ObamaCare, we are also advancing positive reforms that promote affordable coverage for working families, including the Small Business Health Fairness Act. As its title implies, this important legislation is about fairness for small businesses and their employees. Today, small businesses are on an unfair playing field with larger companies and unions when it comes to health care. Large businesses have the ability to negotiate for more affordable healthcare costs for their employees, but small businesses do not have the same advantage. Because of their size, small businesses have limited bargaining power, which means their employees can end up paying more for health insurance. With millions of Americans employed by a small business, it is long past time to level the playing field. That is exactly what this commonsense legislation is about. This bill would empower small businesses to band together through association health plans, or AHPs, to purchase high-quality health care at a lower cost for workers. This bill represents a first step toward a more competitive health insurance market that crosses State lines. Under H.R. 1101, small businesses in different States could join together through a group health plan. These plans would have strong protections and solvency requirements to ensure workers can count on healthcare coverage when they and their families need it. What does all of this mean: more choices, more freedom, and more affordable health care for working families and small-business owners like Scott Bollenbacher. This is a better way, one that stands in stark contrast to ObamaCare's failed approach. Instead of more mandates, this bill empowers individuals to access the high-quality, affordable healthcare plan that meets their needs. I want to thank my colleague Representative Sam Johnson for championing, for years, the positive reforms in this bill. I urge Members to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 1101 so we can level the playing field for small businesses and expand affordable health coverage for working families. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe), a distinguished colleague, a member of the committee, and the chair of the Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot), the distinguished chairman of the Small Business Committee.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen), a member of our committee.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Mitchell), a member of the committee.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Lewis), a member of our committee.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, some of our colleagues on the other side of the aisle have spent a lot of their time extolling ObamaCare and indicating that we should just stay with what we have, but we all know that ObamaCare is failing. Republicans are on a rescue mission. We truly do have a better way. As some of my colleagues have stated, we will be passing the American Health Care Act tomorrow. What we are doing here with this bill is something we could not include in that legislation that will round out what it is we want to do with keeping our promise in what we promised last year in our program called A Better Way. Let me just talk a little bit about the failures of ObamaCare. As my colleagues have said, all the promises were broken: if you wanted to keep your doctor, you could keep your doctor; if you wanted to keep your healthcare plan, you could keep your healthcare plan. Those promises were the most obvious ones that went away. The cost of health care would be going down, and none of that happened. Mr. Speaker, in addition to that, there is a 25 percent average increase in premiums this year for millions of Americans trapped in ObamaCare, healthcare.gov exchanges. Nearly one-third of U.S. counties have only one insurer offering exchange plans; 4.7 million Americans were kicked off their healthcare plans by ObamaCare. There was $1 trillion in new taxes, mostly falling on families and job creators; 18 failed ObamaCare co-ops out of 23, which my colleague from Tennessee so eloquently pointed out. These were established as an alternative to the public option. Those healthcare co-ops collapsed, costing taxpayers nearly 1.9 billion and forcing patients to find new insurance; $53 billion in new regulations requiring more than 176,800,000 hours of paperwork. ObamaCare regulations are driving up healthcare premiums and costing small-business employees at least $19 billion annually. As I said in the hearing that we had on this bill, the Democrats want a coercive system. Republicans want a system based on freedom. Today we have an opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of hardworking men and women who are employed by small business. We have an opportunity to deliver much-needed relief to small-business owners who are trying to do the right thing and provide high-quality healthcare coverage for their employees. This legislation represents a truly positive reform that will help lower healthcare costs for working families and put small businesses on a fair and level playing field. Small businesses are the backbone of our Nation's economy, and there is no reason why they should be at a disadvantage when it comes to finding an affordable healthcare plan. They should be treated in the same fashion as larger businesses and have the ability to craft healthcare plans that meet the needs of their employees. If we want to encourage small businesses to offer health care at a lower cost to workers, this is one commonsense step we can make. Again, I thank our colleague, Congressman Sam Johnson, a true patriot and servant of this country, for his longtime support of this legislation. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 1101, the Small Business Health Fairness Act, which will help more Americans access high- quality, affordable health care. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.