Statement on Passage of the Affordable Health Care for America Act

November 7, 2009

Washington, D.C. –Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) issued the following statement in response to the passage of the Affordable Health Care for America Act. 

Today, I joined a majority of my colleagues in voting to pass H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act. This legislation is an honest commitment to quality, affordable health care for all Americans that will help contain our nation’s skyrocketing health care costs.

It’s clear that our nation's health care insurance system is in trouble. Costs continue to escalate, placing impossible burdens on working families, small businesses and government. In California, 18.5 percent of the population is currently uninsured and the average worker’s share of family health insurance premiums nearly doubled from 2000 to 2007. If we continue to do nothing, health care costs will continue to grow out of control, swamping our already imperiled economy.

This legislation, while not perfect, will help extend insurance coverage to an estimated 96 percent of Americans while at the same time reducing the deficit over the next decade. The inclusion of a viable public option will help ensure that Americans have real choice in insurance options and introduce much needed competition into the health insurance marketplace. As the debate on health reform shifts to the Senate, I will continue working to ensure this bill is signed into law.

For additional information on the Affordable Health Care for America Act, click here to visit my health insurance reform information page.

Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren is serving her eighth term in Congress representing most of the City of San Jose and Santa Clara County. She is the Chair of the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct. She also serves as Chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law. She chairs the House Administration Subcommittee on Elections and serves on the House Homeland Security Committee. Congresswoman Lofgren is Chair of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation consisting of 34 Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives from California.