{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://web.archive.org/web/20140301060514/http://butterfield.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=22&itemid=714", "Butterfield's Statement on Republicans' Attempt to Disparage the Affordable Care Act during Energy and Commerce Committee Hearing", "2013-10-24", "2013", "2013-10", "Democrat", "House", "NC", "G. Butterfield", "B001251", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC -- Earlier today, during the Republican-led House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing criticizing the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) offered the following statement:\n\n\t\u201cToday\u2019s hearing would be appropriate if my Republican colleagues would have approached it in a constructive way so as to learn about the rollout challenges of Healthcare.gov.\u00a0 It would be appropriate to work in a bipartisan way to support the administration\u2019s efforts to fix the problems with the website.\u00a0\n\n\t\u201cBut the title of today\u2019s hearing \u2013 PPACA Implementation Failures: Didn\u2019t Know or Didn\u2019t Disclose \u2013 very clearly illustrates my colleagues\u2019 motives and intentions.\u00a0 I assure my Republican colleagues that their vehement opposition to Obamacare is very well known\u2026It was just 24 days ago that Republicans forced the shutdown of the federal government over their fervent opposition to the law.\n\n\t\u201cFor 16 days, Republicans held the American people, our country\u2019s financial stability, and the world economy hostage in an effort to delay, dismantle, and defund Obamacare.\u00a0 Their efforts cost the U.S. economy $3.1 billion and cost 120,000 new jobs.\n\n\t\u201cThe administration, members of Congress, and the public all agree there are problems with Healthcare.gov.\u00a0 Those problems are being addressed right now.\u00a0 But I must remind my colleagues that Obamacare is not just a website.\u00a0 It\u2019s a law that has already helped tens of millions of Americans.\u00a0\n\n\t\u201cYoung adults can stay on their parents\u2019 insurance until their 26th birthday.\u00a0 Insurance companies can no longer deny people because of a pre-existing condition and they can\u2019t drop someone from coverage if they get sick.\u00a0 The law ends caps on yearly and lifetime benefits and requires insurance companies to spend at least 80 percent of premiums on patient care and quality improvements.\n\n\t\u201cBut my colleagues don\u2019t talk about the dividends Obamacare is already paying to millions of Americans, instead choosing to focus on the technical glitches with Healthcare.gov.\u00a0\n\n\t\u201cComplaining about a website with design problems that can and are being fixed as we speak is nothing more than a thinly veiled excuse to disparage President Obama and the law that he and many in Congress have championed.\n\n\t\u201cObamacare is a good law that benefits the American people.\u00a0 It will empower Americans to live healthier lives while ultimately saving taxpayers money.\u00a0 We should not throw the baby out with the bath water.\u00a0 Let\u2019s work together in a bipartisan way to address aspects of the law that could be improved instead of grandstanding in an effort to score political points.\n\n\t\u201cI yield back.\u201d\n\n\t###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://web.archive.org/web/20140301060514/http://butterfield.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=22&itemid=714"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9919870644807816, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}