Congressman Carson Votes to Pass Historic Health Care Reform Legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman André Carson released the following statement after voting to pass H.R. 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
"After more than a year of debate and constant work to bring together the best solutions to our nation's health care challenges, we've finally taken a monumental step toward a stronger, healthier America.
"Simply put, today's vote is nothing short of a game-changer for tens-of-millions of Americans-a life-saver for millions more.
"No longer will access to health care be just a privilege, inaccessible to millions; it will be a basic right for all Americans. No longer will the health insurance industry hold the power over important health decisions; the American people will be empowered to make their own health choices. And no longer will we let skyrocketing health care costs damage our economy and run-up our national deficit; we will rein-in rising costs and actually cut our deficit by $1.3 trillion over the next two decades.
"Yes, today's vote will certainly go down in history as one of the most groundbreaking-together with the creation of social security, the inception of Medicare and the passage of the Civil Rights Act. I am so proud to be a part of this critical moment in our nation. But nothing will give me more pride than returning home to Indianapolis and talking to our small business owners about the tax credits they will receive to help them afford health coverage for their employees. Nothing is more rewarding than being able to look a cancer survivor in the eye and assure her that never again will she be denied health insurance because of her medical history or giving our tens-of-thousands of uninsured constituents peace of mind that they finally will be able to purchase quality health insurance thanks to the largest health-related tax cut in history.
"I look forward to getting back to Indianapolis to not only celebrate history with the people of the 7th District, but to watch as these changes take effect and begin to improve their quality of life."