Fred Upton

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Harper).

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. McKinley).

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Louisiana, Dr. Cassidy.

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

Mr. UPTON. I yield 15 seconds to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Scalise).

Mr. UPTON. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Virginia, Morgan Griffith.

Mr. UPTON. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Pompeo).

Mr. UPTON. I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess) to respond to that.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, before I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Terry), I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Texas, Dr. Burgess.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Terry).

Mr. UPTON. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, before I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas, Dr. Burgess, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Georgia, Dr. Gingrey.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the chairman of the Health Subcommittee, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts).

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the vice chair of the full committee, the gentlelady from North Carolina, Sue Myrick.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden), whose State would be devastated with the Medicare Advantage cuts.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Dr. Murphy.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the chairman emeritus of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Joe Barton, whose State could lose perhaps 64 hospitals that would close with the continuing of ObamaCare. (Mr. BARTON of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, before I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Whitfield), I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Stearns).

Mr. UPTON. I yield myself an additional 1 minute. Ensuring those with preexisting conditions have access to affordable coverage, we'll do that. Allowing families to include their children up to 26, we'll do that. Medical liability reform to reduce the unneeded cost of defensive medicine, we'll do that. Provide incentives for employers rather than penalties and mandates that will cost jobs and depress wages, we will provide those incentives. Yes, we will. Those are just some of the principles that I believe we can agree on with both sides of the aisle. So first is repeal; then replace. I'm ready for the challenge to put real health reform back together that is bipartisan rather than partisan and achieves the goal of lower health care costs for every American family. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, before I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Sullivan), I yield 30 seconds to the gentlelady from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn).

Mr. UPTON. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, if I may just ask how much extra time I might have been given by the gentleman from Minnesota.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, before I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus), I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Georgia, Dr. Gingrey.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes. Mr. Speaker, today we take a step toward compassionate, innovative, and job-creating health care. It is ironic we must end something to realize a new beginning, but that is exactly what ObamaCare has compelled us to do; and that is precisely what we will do today. It's time to be honest with the American people. Remember the Hippocratic oath? First, do no harm. ObamaCare produces the opposite of growth, compassion, and innovation in health care. It destroys jobs, busts budgets, creates an unsustainable set of mandates on individuals, employers, and States. It will stifle innovation and the development of life-saving medicines. It will make health care more expensive, not more affordable. Mr. Speaker, that is not compassionate. That won't produce innovation, and that's why repeal is the first step toward a better beginning. What is compassionate about forcing employers to provide insurance that they cannot afford to employees who will lose their jobs due to ObamaCare? What is compassionate about creating a rigid new entitlement that States are commanded to fund with money that they simply do not have? What is compassionate about cutting over $200 billion from the Medicare Advantage program, leaving seniors with fewer services, higher co-pays, and more out-of-pocket expenses? What is compassionate about shackling more Americans with greater government dependence? ObamaCare was created--erected--on a foundation of false promises: if you like your health insurance, you can keep it; health care premiums will go down; employers will not drop coverage; seniors won't see any changes in their Medicare benefits. Today we know that those were only slogans--sound bites in a cynical sales pitch--and certainly not promises kept. Yes, today repeal will pass in the House. We will then embark on reform that I believe can be supported by both Republicans and Democrats.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, how much time is remaining on both sides?