US Congressman Joe Crowley is a seven-term representative from NY's 7th Congressional District, which includes sections of Queens and the Bronx Rep. Crowley’s remarks as prepared:
“Today, Republicans in the House will once again bring up a repeal of the Affordable Care Act.
“We’ve seen a lot of repeal from them, but not as much with respect to their so-called plan to replace.
“But, I think I’ve figured out what the GOP wants to replace the Affordable Care Act with.
“Here is what I assume must be the Republicans’ plan for health care in our country: chicken noodle soup.
“Many of our grandmothers have told us that chicken noodle soup is the cure-all for anything, but I think the Republicans’ plan takes grandma at her word a little too literally.
“Can’t afford health care coverage and need medical care? Have some chicken noodle soup.
“Been diagnosed with a serious disease and can’t afford the prescription drugs you need to treat it? Well, at least you can rely on some good old chicken noodle soup.
“Have a preexisting condition like diabetes that lets your insurance company deny you coverage? That’s okay, have some chicken noodle soup, and it will be all better.
“But the truth is, it won’t be all better.
“That’s why we enacted the Affordable Care Act, to ensure that people could get the affordable, quality coverage they need, that seniors can afford their prescription medications, and that an insurance company can no longer deny you coverage because you have a preexisting condition.
“I don’t know why Republicans want to go back to the day when chicken noodle soup was the only option for hard-working families who couldn’t afford care.
“The truth is, chicken noodle soup might be ‘mmm, mmm good’ for lunch, but as health care policy it is ‘mmm, mmm bad’.”