(Washington, DC) - The leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives has scheduled a vote today on H.R. 3962, The Affordable Health Care for America Act.  Congressman Baron Hill continues reviewing both the bill, recent legislative developments such as amendments, and comments and concerns from his constituents.  Hill issued the following statement this morning:

“This legislation continues to evolve, and as such, I am continuing to review it.  For example, late last night an agreement was reached that will allow for a vote on the Stupak-Pitts-Ellsworth Amendment.  This amendment will ensure that no taxpayer dollars are used for abortion services. In addition, the amendment would block those who receive federal subsidies for the purchase of health insurance from buying policies that offer coverage for abortions.  I know many of my constituents, like me, are concerned with the language regarding this issue in the base bill.  This is a positive change, and I would like to thank my colleagues for working so diligently on this matter.

I am also encouraged by the Congressional Budget Office’s – the nonpartisan agency responsible for scoring legislation – analysis of H.R. 3962, which not only finds the bill to be deficit neutral, but will actually reduce the deficit.  The CBO’s analysis of the bill finds that it reduces the deficit by $109 billion between 2010 and 2019, and will also likely reduce deficits in the decade following 2019 by up to one-quarter of one percent of Gross Domestic Product.

One of my primary concerns regarding health care reform is also clearly addressed by this bill – that those with pre-existing conditions will be able to secure affordable and effective coverage.  In fact, there are more than 10,000 Southern Indiana residents who currently have pre-existing medical conditions that could prevent them from buying insurance.  Some of those are in my own family.  And, provisions of this bill afford those with pre-existing conditions more options through the creation of an interim high-risk pool until the full benefits of this legislation are realized.  Those who need it the most should have access to health insurance, and this bill does just that. 
The vote has been scheduled for later today, although an exact time is not yet known.  I will continue reviewing the bill and checking in with my staff regularly to see what my constituents are saying about the legislation.”

Constituents can read The Affordable Health Care for America Act and related information on the Rules Committee’s web site, http://rules.house.gov/.