Chairman Neal Statement on 10th Anniversary of the Affordable Care Act

SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts, March 24 -- Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Massachusetts, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, issued the following statement on March 23 marking the 10th anniversary of President Obama signing the Affordable Care Act into law:

"Ten years ago today, the Affordable Care Act became the law of the land, making way for dramatic improvements to the American health care system and bringing us closer to becoming a nation where health care is a right for all rather than a privilege for some. In the last decade, we have made monumental progress--20 million more Americans have affordable, comprehensive health care coverage than did before the ACA, and the 135 million Americans with pre-existing conditions no longer live in fear of discrimination from insurers.

"We mark this historic anniversary as our country confronts an unprecedented public health emergency that underscores the importance of good-quality, affordable health care. This crisis could be much, much worse if Democrats had not defended the ACA against the Trump Administration's and congressional Republicans' sweeping budget cuts and repeated attempts to dismantle vital provisions of the law.

"I recognize that there is more to be done though, and the Ways and Means Committee has taken action to continue improving our health care system. For example, we passed legislation to lower prescription drug costs and put an end to surprise medical billing.

"I'm committed to building on the legacy of the Affordable Care Act and further reducing the financial burden on consumers through commonsense, bipartisan solutions. High-quality, affordable health care is not only a necessity, it's a human right, and we must make it a reality for every single American."