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Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) today went to the House floor to remind lawmakers that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is about more than numbers – it’s about real Americans.

In a floor speech, DelBene told the story of a Snohomish constituent, Paul, whose son-in-law died of cancer before the healthcare reforms took effect. He had delayed seeking medical care because his family couldn't afford the cost of health insurance.

“We cannot go back to a time when getting sick meant going bankrupt,” DelBene said. “Across the country, Americans like Paul are telling Congress not to repeal the Affordable Care Act. We should heed their advice.”

Constituents have inundated DelBene’s office with stories of how the ACA has helped them and their families – urging Congress not to repeal the vital healthcare law. The Congresswoman will continue to feature other stories during the next six weeks.

Video can be found HERE and text of her speech as prepared follows:

“Too often, we forget the Affordable Care Act is about more than numbers. It’s about real people. So for the next six weeks, I’ll be highlighting the voices of my constituents, who have flooded my inbox with heart-wrenching stories about why the law must be preserved.

“Constituents like Paul, from Snohomish, whose son-in-law died of cancer before the Affordable Care Act. His disease started small. But growing up, his family couldn’t afford insurance, so he delayed seeking care. By the time he got a job with health coverage, the disease had progressed too far. He died at age 29. Paul wrote to me and said: ‘The certificate of death says my son-in-law died from cancer, but I believe he died from a broken healthcare system.’

“We cannot go back to a time when getting sick meant going bankrupt. Across the country, Americans like Paul are telling Congress not to repeal the Affordable Care Act. We should heed their advice.”

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