Brooks Supports Health Care Bill Passage

Mo Brooks

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) today voted in favor of the improved and amended American Health Care Act (AHCA) that partially repeals ObamaCare and drives down projected health insurance costs while maintaining coverage for individuals with pre-existing conditions.

Congressman Mo Brooks said, “While today’s health care legislation falls short of the full ObamaCare repeal that I called for and believe in, a partial repeal does more good for working American families than no repeal at all.  I am proud that diligent House Freedom Caucus work has forced amendments that converted substantial increases in health insurance premiums into substantial cuts in health insurance costs for tens of millions of Americans.  The AHCA repeals roughly twenty ObamaCare taxes that have hurt job creators and cut take-home pay.  The AHCA repeals the ObamaCare individual and employer mandate penalties that undermine freedom of choice and liberty.”  

Brooks continued, “Further, the MacArthur-Meadows Amendment forced by the Freedom Caucus helps restore States’ Rights by giving states the discretion to seek and obtain waivers from many of ObamaCare’s most costly, premium-increasing mandates, thereby lowering health insurance costs for struggling American families. Importantly, in order to receive a waiver, the MacArthur-Meadows amendment requires states to set up a high-risk program that limits higher premiums to one year for those individuals who tried to game the system by refusing to buy insurance.  After one year, the individual would return to standard rate.” 

Brooks stated, “Despite fear-mongering from the left, this legislation explicitly maintains protections for pre-existing conditions and bans health insurers from charging a patient with pre-existing conditions higher premiums as long as they maintain continuous coverage or sign up for new coverage within 63 days of exiting a previous insurance plan.  Consistent with a concerted effort to help those with pre-existing conditions, the amended AHCA provides an additional $8 billion to help offset insurance costs for citizens with pre-existing conditions in those states that seek an approved waiver.  This is on top of the $130 billion available to states through the AHCA’s Patient and State Stability Fund, which seeks to help states repair the damage done by ObamaCare to health markets. And both the $8 billion and $130 billion are over and above the roughly $350 billion per year over-taxed American citizens already give to citizens who have difficulty paying for their health care.”

Brooks concluded, “While the amended AHCA does not fully repeal ObamaCare, and while it is nowhere near what I believe is best, it is a step in the right direction to lower insurance costs for struggling American families and is a vast improvement over ObamaCare.  Leaving ObamaCare in place is not an option for Americans.  I look forward to working with my Senate colleagues to build on the progress made in the House on the AHCA to deliver on our promises to the American people.”