[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E33]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

RESTORING AMERICANS' HEALTHCARE FREEDOM RECONCILIATION ACT OF 2015

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speech of

HON. TOM COLE

of oklahoma

in the house of representatives

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Mr. COLE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share my strong support for
the Senate Amendment to H.R. 3762, the Restoring Americans' Healthcare
Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015. Mr. Speaker, this legislation caps
a long march by House Republicans to repeal President Obama's job-
killing health care legislation, the so-called Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act (PPACA). But you don't have to just take my word
for it. Since its enactment, PPACA has never been popular with a
majority of the America people. The Kaiser Family Foundation has
maintained a monthly tracking poll of the law's popularity and only
once in the last five years was its favorability as high as 50%. House
Republicans recognized this and voted over 60 times to repeal or modify
provisions of PPACA. Because of this, eighteen different provisions of
PPACA have been considered and passed by both the House and the Senate
and have been signed into law by the President.
The Senate Amendment to H.R. 3762 does three important things: it
repeals the individual mandate, eliminates the employer mandates,
eliminates the taxes on prescription drugs and medical devices, and it
places a moratorium on taxpayer funding to abortion providers. These
provisions are estimated to repeal more than $1.2 trillion in tax hikes
on hardworking families, and reduces spending by nearly $1.5 trillion,
over the next 10 years. As a member of the Budget Committee, I am proud
to have played a role in shaping this reconciliation bill to repeal a
law that a majority of Americans have never wanted, a law that has
taken away coverage that people liked and replaced it with inferior
coverage which costs even more.
In addition to this, Mr. Speaker, the Senate Amendment to H.R. 3762
includes a moratorium on taxpayer funding to abortion providers, like
Planned Parenthood, and redirects those funds to community health
centers. Like you, Mr. Speaker, I am opposed to abortion and have been
a consistent proponent of laws and policies that respect life and
protect the unborn. I am pleased this legislation provides for a
moratorium of funding to Planned Parenthood.
Broadly, I do not believe that taxpayers should fund Planned
Parenthood. I am a cosponsor of H.R. 217, the Title X Abortion Provider
Prohibition Act, which would prohibit family planning assistance to an
entity unless it certifies that it will not provide funds to another
entity that performs abortions except in the cases of rape, incest, or
the life of the mother, I have also cosponsored H.R. 3134, the Defund
Planned Parenthood Act of 2015, which would prevent any funds from
going to Planned Parenthood until it is certified that they do not
perform abortions and supported this legislation when it passed the
House, by a vote of 241-187, on September 18, 2015. In addition, I
voted in favor of H.R. 3495, the Women's Public Health and Safety Act,
which gives states the flexibility to exclude abortion providers, like
Planned Parenthood, from their Medicaid programs. I do not believe it
is appropriate to use public funds to pay for abortions and am pleased
to see this further limitation as a part of the Senate Amendment to
H.R. 3762.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to take a few moments to respond to some
of my colleagues' remarks that seemed to imply that funding for Planned
Parenthood was included in the omnibus. Approximately 90 percent of
Planned Parenthood's federal funding comes from Medicaid
reimbursements, which is mandatory or entitlement spending, and not
included in the omnibus at all. The other 10 percent of Planned
Parenthood's federal money comes primarily from the Title X Family
Planning Program in the form of competitive grants. This amounts to
around $60 million in any given year that Planned Parenthood must
compete for. Obviously, with this Administration, it seems likely that
Planned Parenthood will receive funds; however, electing a pro-life
President who will also select like-minded appointees and cabinet
members is the long-term solution. Ultimately, even with a government
shutdown, Planned Parenthood would still receive the vast amount of the
funding it currently receives.
As the Chairman of the Appropriations subcommittee responsible for
funding the Department of Health and Human Services, I removed all
funding for Title X programs that fund organizations conducting
abortions, such as Planned Parenthood as part of the House version of
this legislation. Unfortunately, we were not able to maintain that
funding prohibition or the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act in the final
version of the bill. For some to suggest, as they have, that more could
have been done to stop this horrifying practice in the omnibus, is
simply untrue.
I am opposed to abortion and have been a consistent proponent of laws
and policies that respect life and protect the unborn. Since becoming a
Member of Congress, I have made protection of life one of my highest
priorities. As stewards of the laws of this country, protecting the
most vulnerable, including the unborn, should be one of Congress'
highest priorities. I have a 100 percent pro-life voting record and
intend to continue building on that record.
In closing, Mr. Speaker, this legislation demonstrates what the
American people have known for a long time: that Obamacare is deeply
unpopular in both Washington and back at home. Forcing the President to
veto this legislation demonstrates that the support is here in
Washington for a full repeal. If a Republican President would be
elected in 2016, I am sure this albatross around the neck of the
American people would be no more.
I encourage all of my colleagues to listen to the voices of the
American people and vote yes on repeal of Obamacare and a temporary
moratorium on federal funding for Planned Parenthood.

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