Washington, D.C.--The following is a statement from Rep. Eliot Engel regarding his “YES” vote in the House Energy and Commerce Committee on approving the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act (H.R. 3200). The bill passed by a vote of 31 to 28.

“Today was a landmark moment in our history, as the 60-year-long fight to bring affordable health care to all Americans – a quest which dates back to President Harry Truman and continues today with the leadership of President Barack Obama – took one giant leap forward towards becoming a reality.

“As someone who has long been a supporter of a single payer plan, and an original co-sponsor of HR 676, which would have provided that option, I made my vote today knowing that we are not yet where we need to be. In fact, I spoke on the necessity of a single payer plan during the Committee’s deliberations. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIEIlMdSQvo

“However, the bottom line is clear. The status quo cannot continue. Our system will be unsustainable for far too many people in the very near future. Something needed to be done, and now is the time. This was not the bill I would have written, but it is certainly better than the status quo. It is a vast improvement over the current health care system, one where 47 million Americans find themselves without coverage, including 2.5 million New Yorkers, and millions more deal with insufficient coverage.

“I am disappointed that concessions had to be made in order to have the legislation successfully pass the Committee. They diminish the inherent strengths of this legislation. That is why I voted against the amendment to add to the bill the agreement made with the Blue Dog Coalition Democrats. I plan to keep fighting to restore the money removed from the bill which would help middle-income families to purchase affordable health insurance.

“I voted for the legislation to pass out of committee because I believe the risks of inaction were too substantial. However, we must remember the legislation is still a work in progress. We must still sort out the three different versions to come out of the House Committees, and determine what form the bill will take when it is voted on by the full House. In addition, whatever version is passed by the Senate will have to be reconciled with our eventual passed legislation.

“There is still plenty of time to fight to provide affordable health care for the 47 million uninsured, 80% of whom are hard-working, middle class families. We will have ample opportunity to bring choices to the millions more, who may one day have to make life and death decisions based on monetary concerns, or on choices dictated to them by insurance companies.

“Despite the rhetoric from the naysayers, this plan will not force anyone to give up what they currently enjoy. Public health insurance would be available for those with no choices, and to provide competition to bring down the rates for everyone else. In fact, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office predicts that more Americans will opt for private insurance plans under this bill. They also estimate that by 2019, only about 9-10 million Americans will be enrolled in the plan. Lastly, they anticipate this plan will build upon the employer-provided system rather than eroding it.

“In the 17th Congressional District which I represent, there are 91,000 uninsured individuals who would gain access to high-quality, affordable health insurance under this plan. There are almost 14,000 small businesses that would receive tax credits and be able to provide insurance to their employees, 1,600 seniors who would avoid the Medicare donut hole, and 200 families who would escape bankruptcy each year due to health costs.

“Those who would benefit from the status quo have been vocal, but they have also been incorrect. Change is scary to many people, but without change things tend to stagnate and erode, the way the health care system has deteriorated in our nation over time. The time to act is now; the consequences of failure are enormous. Private insurance companies have had their chance to make the system work and they have failed. We can and must do better.

“There are many aspects I would have written differently myself, but overall it moves us in the right direction. This legislation is a beginning, not an end. We are now one step closer to where we need to be, and America will be the better as a result.”