March 27, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 53 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Page H2878]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     REPEALING AFFORDABLE CARE ACT WOULD HAVE HARMFUL REPERCUSSIONS

  (Mr. NEGUSE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. NEGUSE. Madam Speaker, today, I want to share the story of a 
family in my district. In 2015, the Cerrato family was in the NICU, 
fighting for the life of their son Ethan. At just 10 days old, he had 
undergone two major surgeries, had been the subject of dozens of 
procedures, and had spent the first days of his life traumatized and 
struggling through pain.
  After only 10 days, the Cerrato family had accumulated a hospital 
bill of over $250,000. While little Ethan was fighting for his life, 
Christine and Matthew Cerrato were grappling with the thought of filing 
for bankruptcy.
  At this moment, the question became: What could they rely on? The 
answer was the Affordable Care Act, which was passed into law this week 
9 years ago.
  Earlier this week, the Department of Justice called on the Federal 
courts to overturn the ACA in its entirety, the latest attack from this 
administration on the affordable healthcare of millions of families, 
including many in my State of Colorado and in my district.

  These relentless efforts to repeal this law would have harmful 
impacts on families across the country, like the Cerrato family.
  We cannot move backward on the progress we have made to provide 
affordable healthcare to American families. Instead, we must move 
forward to lower drug prices, to lower the cost of healthcare, and to 
ensure that Colorado families and families all over America can get the 
care they need.

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