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.
“OBAMACARE” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H7150 on Nov. 15, 2013.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
OBAMACARE
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2013, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert) is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I won't take long.
I got this email from a constituent that, on Tuesday of last week, my 89-year old mother-in-law fell and broke her hip. Her doctor gave her only a 50 percent chance of survival, but survive she did. He, the doctor, stated after the operation that she was lucky that it happened now, because ``in 2 weeks I could not have performed the same procedure because it is not an approved procedure under the new rules. It's too expensive.''
We all wondered what her chances of survival would have been under Dr. Obama. That is from Jay, in my district.
There are all kinds of terrible things that are happening as a result of the passage of ObamaCare. I voted ``yes'' on the bill today. Apparently, the Senate is not going to take it up. It just said if the insurance companies could allow them to continue on their policies without making it illegal, as ObamaCare does, to keep those policies.
We have numerous proposals. Anybody that says Republicans don't have any solutions, we have got numerous solutions. I filed a bill that would have been a better, far better bill to ObamaCare back before ObamaCare passed. CBO wouldn't score it. They helped the Democrats all they could, but especially after the director was woodshedded at the White House.
There are many solutions, and one solution now would be to allow insurance policies that have been approved for this year by State commissioners, let them go on, like those that are on the Federal, State, or local cafeteria plans for Federal, State or local workers.
There are many things we can do to have a bridge to get us through the next year if we can just repeal ObamaCare. It did not look like a possibility a few months ago but, as Americans are finding out more and more about the disaster of this government taking over everyone's health care, they are finding, gee, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea, as we had 30-plus Democrats, in a bipartisan vote today, express, gee, maybe we should have allowed people to keep their insurance if they wanted it.
One article today from FOX News, ``Obama's Insurance Plan `Fix' Stirs Confusion, Ridicule At the State Level,'' points out what a disaster it is. The President's even adding to the problems by unilaterally passing a new law, as he has done repeatedly. Normally it is reserved only to monarchs, kings, emperors, those kind of things, to step up and say, I am changing the law.
He has done it with regard to immigration. He has done it with regard to ObamaCare. He ignores parts of laws or laws he doesn't like, and that has also been done at the Department of Justice.
{time} 1430
Here is a headline, CNN: ObamaCare Enrollment Numbers ``Complete Disaster.'' And we are finding out that 26,000-or-so signed up and bought insurance when they needed 500,000.
Here is one from McClatchy: ``Roiling Health Care Waters, Obama's Fix Could Make Matters Worse,'' by Anita Kumar and Lesley Clark.
From The Weekly Standard, Daniel Halper: ``Fairy Tale'' Continues As Obama Proposes Extralegal ObamaCare Fix. It is unconstitutional.
And by the way, Madam Speaker, it seems like those who had the President for constitutional law are probably entitled to file a class action, wanting their money back. Because, clearly, the President is not familiar with the fact that the executive branch just can't announce or change laws as they wish without getting Congress' approval.
Here is another, ObamaCare Architect: ``Could Be the Beginning of a Death Spiral'' from Today by Daniel Halper. In fact, it quotes the architect of ObamaCare being interviewed by Megyn Kelly. She asked,
``Is that the beginning of the so-called death spiral?'' And he said
``That could be the beginning of a death spiral,'' as people did not sign up for ObamaCare like they needed to.
And then one from Human Events: There is No ``Fix'' for ObamaCare. And, Madam Speaker, I think that is the bottom line here. We have got to repeal ObamaCare. People are already being dramatically, adversely affected. It has changed the 40-hour workweek. It has changed people's ability to have their own decisions about their own health care.
We need to move, as Ben Carson suggested, toward health savings accounts, encouraging those higher deductibles with cash to take care of the difference. There are all kinds of great solutions. Many of us have them. We just need to repeal ObamaCare for the good of America.
And it is deeply saddening to know that our government is not even warning people about going on ObamaCare, that when they enter their personal information, it is subject to being stolen by identity thieves and may put them in great personal identity quandaries and difficulties legally. So I bring that up because somebody needs to warn people about the problems of registering with the ObamaCare Web site, if they can get through.
My hope and prayer is that we will do the right thing by America. We will get back to acting within the Constitution. And friends like our leader, who spoke moments ago, expressing profound ignorance of what has gone on here on the floor, as he has stated that we had Paul Ryan and many other Republicans voting for the government not to pay its bills.
There is no Republican I know of that has voted that way. Apparently, he has paid more attention to mainstream media that has misrepresented the truth than he has to what has actually gone on here. No Republicans voted for America not to pay its bills. In fact, Republicans are the ones who voted repeatedly to compromise before the shutdown.
But Harry Reid had it in his mind that if there were a shutdown, if he could refuse to compromise on anything, force a shutdown, then Americans would get misrepresentations as to what occurred. They would blame the Republicans, and then they would get the majority back here in the House next year.
But a funny thing happened on the way to that plan. Many people are starting to find out: wait a minute, Republicans compromised repeatedly. Harry Reid is the one that wouldn't bring a compromise to the floor, wouldn't even allow negotiations to occur with a conference committee. And then people are finding out why Republicans were so concerned about ObamaCare, because it is a disaster. It is affecting people's ability to get the health care they need.
It is so grossly unfair. It is putting people at risk. It is time to stop the figurative bleeding of America and repeal ObamaCare.
And with that, I yield back the balance of my time.
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