Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1) voted today in support of legislation to delay health care mandates on individuals and businesses contained within the 2010 health care overhaul, known as Obamacare. The House passed the Authority for Mandate Delay Act (H.R. 2667), which would delay the requirement that businesses with over 50 full-time employees provide minimum essential health care coverage to employees or face a fine. In addition, the House also passed the Fairness for American Families Act (H.R. 2668) which would suspend for a year the provision known as the individual mandate, which requires that all citizens purchase health coverage or pay a penalty tax.
“I have long argued that the goal of any health care reform must be to drive costs down so that quality health care coverage is affordable and accessible to every American,” Wittman said. “In 2010, the nation watched as an irreconcilable health care overhaul was conceived behind closed doors in Washington and forced upon the American people, despite lacking the reforms necessary to truly reduce the cost of health care. Since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, health care costs have gone up, and folks continue to lose coverage due to the regulations within this law. The Administration’s recent decision to delay the employer mandate, one of the signature provisions of its own bill, simply reaffirms my opposition to Obamacare as a whole and my belief that it remains a threat to individuals and families across the country, as well as the small businesses that employ so many of our neighbors.
“At every opportunity, I have supported the full repeal of the president’s health care overhaul, and I firmly believe that today’s effort to delay elements of Obamacare is a necessary step forward. Families and small businesses across the nation are facing enough uncertainty as it is, and these two bills will prevent an added burden on their shoulders. However, it is critical that the House also enact responsible, commonsense reforms that target the true factors driving up health care costs for individuals. At the same time, reforms absolutely must ensure that doctors and patients, not insurance companies or government bureaucrats, are the ones making important health care decisions. I will continue to work with my constituents and press Congress to pursue true solutions to address our nation’s rising health care costs.”
Wittman voted against the president’s health care overhaul when it was considered by the U.S. House in 2010. Since then, he has supported multiple efforts to repeal the legislation so that it can be replaced with responsible, patient-centered reforms.
Each of these bills has now been referred to the Senate for consideration.
Congressman Rob Wittman represents the First District of Virginia. He serves on the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Armed Services Committee, where he is Chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee.
