Expatriate Health Coverage Clarification Act of 2014

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member, Mr. Levin, for the 2 minutes.

I rise today to speak in favor of H.R. 4414, the Expatriate Health Coverage Clarification Act. I am a cosponsor of this bill because I think it provides a targeted fix to the unintended consequences of the Affordable Care Act. It is too bad, though, that we cannot work together in fixing other flaws in the ACA instead of trying to repeal it over 50 times over the last 2 years.

I think, though, this bill will save American jobs, including many in the San Joaquin Valley. There have been some concerns that this bill would negatively impact green card holders and other immigrants to our country. I think this bill does provide safeguards to ensure that that will not happen.

An expat plan, by its nature, offers robust benefits across the globe. No one should be concerned that this bill will somehow erode coverage or quality for non-Americans living here in the U.S. or for Americans living abroad, for that matter.

With more than 1,000 jobs at stake, passing this bill will signal to the American people that, yes, on occasion Congress can work together and that we do care about more than business as usual.

I am pleased to join my colleagues, Mr. Carney and Mr. Nunes, in standing up for this effort to protect some American jobs. But let's remind ourselves that it is a work in progress and the author knows that this legislation, I suspect, would not be signed into law in its current form. But it is a work in progress. We move it along, we work with the Senate and get the concerns addressed the administration has raised. That is what it takes working together on a bipartisan basis to get legislation done.

I urge my colleagues to vote "yes'' on the bill when it comes up for a vote today.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source