The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“REPEALING AFFORDABLE CARE ACT WOULD HAVE HARMFUL REPERCUSSIONS” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H2878 on March 27, 2019.
The Department is one of the oldest in the US, focused primarily on law enforcement and the federal prison system. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, detailed wasteful expenses such as $16 muffins at conferences and board meetings.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
REPEALING AFFORDABLE CARE ACT WOULD HAVE HARMFUL REPERCUSSIONS
(Mr. NEGUSE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.)
Mr. NEGUSE. Madam Speaker, today, I want to share the story of a family in my district. In 2015, the Cerrato family was in the NICU, fighting for the life of their son Ethan. At just 10 days old, he had undergone two major surgeries, had been the subject of dozens of procedures, and had spent the first days of his life traumatized and struggling through pain.
After only 10 days, the Cerrato family had accumulated a hospital bill of over $250,000. While little Ethan was fighting for his life, Christine and Matthew Cerrato were grappling with the thought of filing for bankruptcy.
At this moment, the question became: What could they rely on? The answer was the Affordable Care Act, which was passed into law this week 9 years ago.
Earlier this week, the Department of Justice called on the Federal courts to overturn the ACA in its entirety, the latest attack from this administration on the affordable healthcare of millions of families, including many in my State of Colorado and in my district.
These relentless efforts to repeal this law would have harmful impacts on families across the country, like the Cerrato family.
We cannot move backward on the progress we have made to provide affordable healthcare to American families. Instead, we must move forward to lower drug prices, to lower the cost of healthcare, and to ensure that Colorado families and families all over America can get the care they need.
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