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[Page S1680]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Nomination of Chad A. Readler
Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, I rise in opposition to the nomination of
Mr. Chad Readler to the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court.
There are certainly many reasons to oppose Mr. Readler's nomination.
His track record paints a very clear picture of what he values and what
he does not. Mr. Readler fought to uphold President Trump's travel ban
that targets people because of their religion. He has argued in favor
of a business turning away customers simply because they are LGBT. He
worked to unravel programs made during the past administration that
would ensure low-income workers would actually receive their hard-
earned benefits. Of the things that Mr. Readler values, protecting
Americans from wrongful acts of discrimination is clearly not among
them.
Yet it still remains difficult for me to understand why Mr. Readler--
and any of my colleagues who choose to advance his nomination today--
would support going back to an era when health insurance companies are
allowed to discriminate against people with preexisting health
conditions. I have heard plenty of my colleagues from across the aisle
make public statements in favor of preexisting coverage protections.
That is probably because they hear, like I do, from people all across
my State who fear losing coverage as a result of having that
preexisting condition.
What are preexisting conditions? Well, it is things like diabetes,
asthma, or even high blood pressure, and they are a reality for over 4
million Michiganders. This range of fairly common to fairly complex
conditions is experienced by one in every four children, over half of
the female population, and 84 percent of adults in their late fifties
and in their sixties.
Today, there is a broad consensus that we need a Federal law in place
that prevents insurance companies from denying coverage or jacking up
prices based on someone's health status, their age, or their gender. We
have a law on the books right now that protects people with preexisting
conditions, but this law must be defended, not undermined.
I worked hard to pass this important coverage during my first term in
the Congress, and I have fought to preserve it every day since then.
Although this fight has been successful so far, it is based on the
premise that the laws passed and upheld by Congress will be defended in
court. Yet the Department of Justice Civil Division, under Mr.
Readler's leadership, decided not to do so. His actions fit into the
story of the Trump administration's ongoing partisan efforts to
sabotage our healthcare system and dismantle strategies that would
lower premiums and expand quality, affordability, and coverage,
generally. The President is constantly looking for ways that he can
sidestep Congress and attack legislation that has brought health
insurance to over 20 million Americans and cut Michigan's uninsured
rate in half.
We should not be advancing a Federal court nominee whose disregard
for the rule of law comes at the expense of the health and the
financial stability of millions of Americans. I urge my colleagues to
vote no on Mr. Readler's nomination and his track record of promoting
discrimination.
Thank you, Mr. President.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Boozman). Without objection, it is so
ordered.