Heck Statement on Health Care Replacement Resolution

I rise in support of House Resolution 9, instructing the Committees of jurisdiction to report legislation to replace the job-killing health care law with a more patient-centered set of reforms. This replacement resolution is the first step toward fixing the recent job-killing health care law’s serious problems: more than $500 billion in cuts to Medicare, and $150 billion in cuts to Medicare Advantage; crippling taxes and mandates on small business that cost Americans jobs; and overreaching federal policies that place bureaucrats between patients and their doctor.  As a physician, I see firsthand the need to improve our country’s health care system. What was signed into law last year did include some good ideas, such as: allowing dependent children to stay on their parents’ insurance until the age of 26; eliminating lifetime caps on coverage; and covering individuals with pre-existing conditions. However, these policies were coupled with unsustainable spending that saddles Americans with debt, and compromises their access to quality health care. The American people deserve better, which is why we need to go back to the drawing board and develop solutions that provide stability and security for those with health care, options for those without, and reign in spiraling costs for everyone. I urge my colleagues to vote yes on this Resolution, so that we can get Americans back to work and give them the health care system they deserve.