Tom Price

Mr. PRICE of Georgia

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 2668.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in strong support of H.R. 2668, the Fairness for American Families Act. The administration says that they invited business to come in and explain how the cost and the complexity of ObamaCare was hurting business and hurting the economy, and they granted business relief appropriately. Mr. Speaker, why hasn't the administration invited the American people into the halls of government? Why hasn't the White House listened to the concerns of the American people about the cost and the complexity of ObamaCare for American families? Have American families seen a $2,500 premium decrease as promised by the President? No. In fact, premiums have gone up. The American people don't understand this law any better than the employers, employers who can hire lawyers and consultants and health benefits experts. In fact, individuals who have no help understand this law even less than business; yet the administration granted relief only to business. Mr. Speaker, it's clear: the President has now admitted it. His law, ObamaCare, is not ready. Deadlines have been missed. System testing is not complete. Income verification systems are not in place. In the words of Senator Baucus, the train wreck is happening. The law should be repealed, Mr. Speaker. President Obama disagrees with that, and that's unfortunate. But we all should be able to come together on the simple principle of fairness. If business gets a 1-year delay, the American people ought to get a 1-year delay. It's a simple principle. If ObamaCare is behind schedule, the American people should not have to bear the burdens alone. They should get the same delay as business. I urge my colleagues to come together today and to advance this very simple principle that this government will treat its citizens fairly and equally. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Young), the author of the bill, recognizing his wisdom and his diligence in working on this issue and recognizing that fairness was absolutely vital on this issue.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I would remind my friend that it's the President who has delayed the employer mandate in this arena. All we're looking for is fairness and equality for the American people. I'm pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Paulsen), a member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. I am pleased to yield 1 minute to a fellow physician colleague in the United States House, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe).

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. * * * The fact of the matter is that this bill, understanding that ObamaCare is a huge, destructive element in job destruction-- Mr. BECERRA. Mr. Speaker, I ask that the gentleman's words be taken down.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my previous statement.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Hurt).

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to yield 1 minute to the majority leader of the United States House of Representatives, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Cantor).

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I would now like to insert into the Record a letter of today from the National Federation of Independent Business.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I would like to enter into the Record a letter dated July 15, 2013, from Matt Kibbe, the president and CEO of FreedomWorks in support of H.R. 2668. FreedomWorks, Washington, DC, July 15, 2013. Key Vote YES on Delaying ObamaCare's Individual Mandate As one of our millions of FreedomWorks members nationwide, I urge you to contact your Representative and urge him or her to vote YES on H.R. 2668, the Fairness for American Families Act. Sponsored by Rep. Todd Young (R-IN), this bill--which the House is expected to take up this week--would delay ObamaCare's ``individual mandate.'' Beginning on January 1, 2014, ObamaCare will require most U.S. citizens to purchase government-controlled health insurance. This ``individual mandate'' is, by the Administration's own admission, the ``linchpin'' of the Washington takeover of health care. If the mandate were to go away, the whole costly and intrusive scheme would unravel. The individual mandate is a latter-day ``intolerable act.'' Despite the Supreme Court's erroneous 2012 ruling, Congress lacks authority under the Constitution to impose such a mandate on U.S. citizens. And even if it were constitutional, the mandate is immoral because it violates individual liberty, is not necessary to ``help the uninsured'' (there are less coercive and less costly ways to do so), and is terribly unfair, both in its effects and how it is being implemented. The unfairness of the mandate is this: its costly burden falls most heavily on just one segment of the population: young adults in their twenties and thirties. They are the group most likely to be uninsured. Indeed, two-thirds of the uninsured are in their twenties and thirties. ObamaCare causes their insurance premiums to rise exponentially, in some cases doubling or even tripling. These Americans are uninsured because health insurance costs too much. ObamaCare's mandate is unfair to them, because it forces them to buy a product that is already too expensive, relative to their needs. But the law is also unfair to everyone, not just millennials, in terms of how it is being implemented. The Obama Administration recently made a unilateral (and illegal) decision to cancel the ``employer mandate'' (which requires employers with more than 50 employees to offer and heavily subsidize health insurance to their workers). But it left the individual mandate in place for the rest of us. The Administration had already displayed rank unfairness by granting more than 1,200 waivers from ObamaCare provisions to its labor union allies and corporate cronies. It has now given Big Business the ultimate waiver, a complete exemption from the mandate, while making sure that Big Insurance gets its own ``ultimate gift'' from Big Government: a compulsory customer base. No wonder more than 70 percent of Americans oppose the individual mandate, and just 12 percent support it. The only cure for the manifold ailments of ObamaCare is to immediately defund or repeal it entirely, and to replace it with patient-centered health care that will actually lower costs and improve quality and access for all. Until then, basic fairness demands that individuals be granted the same favor as the Administration has given to businesses. The individual mandate must be delayed for as long as possible. H.R.2668 would delay the mandate for the same length of time that the Administration claims to be ``delaying'' the employer mandate: one year. That's a start. I urge you to call your Representative and ask him or her to vote YES on H.R. 2668, to delay ObamaCare's individual mandate. We may count their vote as a KEY VOTE when calculating the FreedomWorks Economic Freedom Scorecard for 2013. The Scorecard is used to determine eligibility for the FreedomFighter Award, which recognizes members of Congress with voting records that support economic freedom. Sincerely, Matt Kibbe, President and CEO. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased now to yield 2 minutes to the chairwoman of the House Administration Committee, the gentlelady from the great State of Michigan, Candice Miller.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, how much time remains on each side?

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte).

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I insert in the Record a notice from the National Taxpayers Union, dated July 15, 2013, in support of both H.R. 2667 and H.R. 2668. National Taxpayers Union, Alexandria, VA, July 15, 2013. National Taxpayers Union Vote Alert NTU urges all Representatives to vote ``YES'' on H.R. 2667, the ``Authority for Mandate Delay Act'' and H.R. 2668, the ``Fairness for American Families Act.'' These bills would delay for one year the Affordable Care Act's health insurance mandates for employers and individuals, respectively. While the primary goal of Congress ought to be full repeal of the Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. ``Obamacare''), in the meantime it is imperative for legislators to recognize and address the numerous problems associated with the law. The Obama Administration acknowledged the detrimental effects that the employer mandate will have on businesses, workers, and the economy at large when it unilaterally elected to delay this provision for one year. With the legality of this move very much in question, the House of Representatives is wisely moving to codify the change by passing H.R. 2667. This would greatly assist--albeit only in the short-term--the many businesses that are already cutting employee hours or jobs as a result of the law. At the same time that businesses are making difficult staffing decisions, individuals are poised to be hit by Obamacare's requirement to purchase health insurance. In 2014, the penalty for failing to do so is $285 per family or 1 percent of household income, whichever is greater. By 2016, the penalty jumps to $2,085 per family or 2.5 percent of household income, whichever is greater. As the Supreme Court ruled last year, this penalty is a tax. For many families continuing to struggle due to the weak economy, the burdens from the individual mandate will become increasingly difficult to bear. H.R. 2668 would delay the provision for a year, which would provide much-needed, temporary relief to these families. Passage of H.R. 2667 and H.R. 2668 would help alleviate some of the harmful effects that the Affordable Care Act will impose on businesses and individuals. Enactment of these bills would be an important step toward more significant legislative goals, such as permanent repeal of both mandates and the Affordable Care Act in its entirety. Rollcall votes on H.R. 2667 and H.R. 2668 will be included in our annual rating of Congress and ``yes'' votes will be considered the pro-taxpayer position. If you have any questions, please contact NTU Federal Affairs Manager Nan Swift.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Schock), another member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, how much time remains?

Mr. PRICE of Georgia

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton).

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I am now pleased to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to a pivotal member of the Ways and Means Committee, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Reichert).

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the chief deputy whip of the Republican Conference and a member of the Ways and Means Committee, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Roskam).

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Madam Speaker, how much time remains on both sides?

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I am pleased now to yield 2 minutes to the author of H.R. 2667, a gentleman who recognizes where the authority ought to come from for this piece of legislation, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Griffin).

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased now to yield 1 minute to the chairman of the Oversight Subcommittee on Energy and Commerce, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murphy).

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased now to yield 2 minutes to the chair of the Health Subcommittee on Energy and Commerce, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts).

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased now to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the vice chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, the gentlelady from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn).