Rep. Doggett spoke on the latest Republican attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act

[Rep. Doggett's full remarks, as delivered, follow below]
"I have lived through a terminal illness while struggling to get well and struggling to get and keep my insurance. I've been denied health insurance because of a pre-existing condition. I have lived this. It is very real for me. Today I breathe a little better—life is good because now I have hope."

That was the reaction of my constituent, Erin Foster, to the approval of the Affordable Care Act by the Supreme Court. And today's legislation ought to be called the "Take Away Erin Foster's Hope Act" because that's what it is, replacing the Affordable Care Act with only tax breaks for Tylenol.

In a few days, thousands of Texans will be receiving checks of almost $200 each, almost $200 million in rebates from private insurance companies that overcharged and abused them. This bill should be called the "Return to Sender Act" because it says those abusive health insurance companies get their money back if this act became law.

There are seniors today who are trying to make use of the flawed Republican prescription drug act that is now law. They left a giant gap, sometimes referred to as a donut hole, in the coverage of that act. Our seniors, as a result of the Affordable Care Act, have seen their prescription costs go down and some of that donut hole plugged—eventually, we'll fill it and provide them the protection that they have earned. This bill, if enacted, would double the cost of prescription drugs for those in the donut hole, about 2.25 million Texas seniors would also no longer receive free preventive services. This act should be called the "Charge Seniors More for Their Prescription Act" because that's what it does.

You see, the problem is that in their near fanatic determination to see President Obama fail on everything, Erin Foster, that senior, and that individual who is counting on one of those rebate checks, they are just collateral damage to these Republicans.