House Supports the Keep Your Health Plan Act
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after the House passed H.R. 3350, the Keep Your Health Plan Act. Since HealthCare.gov was launched on October 1, millions of people on the individual market have received cancellation notices even though the president promised, “If you like your healthcare plan, you can keep it.” This legislation allows plans available on the individual market today to be offered in 2014 without penalty under the individual mandate.
During a press conference on Thursday, President Obama acknowledged problems with the Affordable Care Act and announced a fix, allowing insurance companies to continue offering plans that would have otherwise been cancelled under the law’s requirements.
“Today’s House vote is encouraging because it helps some Americans who recently felt the negative impact of the healthcare law,” said Cole. “However, even this legislation will not prevent many Americans from losing the healthcare coverage they have relied on. This bill should be seen as an emergency triage, rather than a full solution to all the problems created by Obamacare.
“Since passage, Obamacare has experienced roadblocks or delays at every turn. Nothing has gone as planned, promised or expected by the president, which has caused Americans to question his ability to lead or lose confidence in his promises. Yesterday’s White House press conference was yet another instance in which the president used his catch-all excuse of ‘I didn’t know’ to cover for the growing number of issues with the Affordable Care Act.
“The president acknowledged the need for a solution for millions of unhappy Americans who received coverage cancellations. While I am pleased that he agrees with Republicans and a growing number of Democrats on this problem, the president cannot pick and choose which portions of the law he wants to implement without consulting Congress. The legislative branch is responsible for passing and amending laws, and this authority must be preserved.”
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