Rep.  Pete Olson (R-Sugar Land) today issued the following statement after the House passed a repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act:

 “Today the House fulfilled a promise in the Pledge to America and voted to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act (PPACA). This law moves America’s health care system in the wrong direction, transferring decisions about your family’s health care from you to Washington bureaucrats.   The federal government should not be interfering with decisions on what doctors to see and how to spend family health care dollars.  The majority of Americans continue to oppose the new law and that's why I voted against its passage in March and voted to repeal it today.

 “The White House and Congressional Democrats plan creates unprecedented mandates, new taxes, expensive entitlement expansions, and adds unworkable and costly insurance provisions.  Equally importantly, this law fails to address the rising costs that place quality health care out of reach for many Americans.

“We still need to reform our health care system.  Many still lack affordable coverage due to a pre-existing condition and costs are still rising.  But, there are better ways to increase quality coverage for Americans who lack access.  Congress can repeal and replace this law with legislation that ensures that individuals with pre-existing conditions receive access to affordable care, allows people to shop across state lines for more competitive insurance rates, and allows small businesses to join together so they can provide more affordable, quality coverage for their employees in the same way that large corporations and unions can. 

“Republicans have offered alternatives every step of the way to increase the number of Americans with access to health care while allowing those who are satisfied with their health care coverage to keep it. Reforming health care is an issue that affects every single American and something that should be done in a bipartisan, open and logical manner.”

 The final vote was 245-189.

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