[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 38 (Thursday, March 6, 2014)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E323] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] PERSONAL EXPLANATION ______ HON. ELIZABETH H. ESTY of connecticut in the house of representatives Thursday, March 6, 2014 Ms. ESTY. Mr. Speaker, I want to state for the record that on Wednesday, March 5, 2014, I unfortunately missed rollcall votes as I traveled to New Britain, CT, with President Barack Obama on official business. Had I been present I would have voted: ``No'' on the Previous Question (roll #93). Had a majority of the House voted no, this bill would have allowed a vote to renew the emergency unemployment insurance to help over 35,000 jobseekers in Connecticut; ``No'' on H. Res. 497 (roll #94), which prevented any amendments to H.R. 4118 from being considered; ``Aye'' on H.R. 938, the U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Act (roll #95), which I proudly cosponsored; ``Aye'' on the Motion to Recommit H.R. 4118 (roll #96) to prevent H.R. 4118 from altering, weakening, or delaying the ACA's prohibition of discrimination based on pre-existing conditions or gender and tax credits and rebates; ``No'' on H.R. 4118 (roll #97). Back in July of last year, I was concerned that the federal marketplace would not be ready for the October 1, 2013, start date for enrollment under the Affordable Care Act. And, in fact, as we saw last fall, the federal website was not ready to handle the volume from states that didn't set up their own exchange. The website problems were unacceptable. Based on the situation that I saw eight months ago, I believed that giving folks an extra year to learn about the benefits and responsibilities under the new law without penalty was a reasonable modification, particularly with misinformation spread about the Affordable Care Act and the uncertainty about the readiness of the marketplace. I believe that my job is to solve problems and vote based on actual facts in my state and district, not ideology. And the facts in Connecticut in March 2014 are quite different than they were in July 2013. The exchanges have been up and running for five full months, and Connecticut is leading the way. With less than one month left in the enrollment period, over 130,000 people in Connecticut have signed up for health coverage through Access Health CT, exceeding the state and federal government's goals. Now is not the time to retroactively delay the individual mandate. As I've previously stated, the individual mandate, upheld by the Supreme Court, is a critical part of the Affordable Care Act. Since July 2013, I've held workshops for small businesses and individuals to learn more about the Affordable Care Act and how to sign up for health insurance. I've heard stories from constituents about how the Affordable Care Act has helped them access affordable, quality health care. A woman from Canaan, a breast cancer survivor, is now saving over $1,500 on her monthly premium; a former small business owner in New Britain can afford health insurance for the first time in 12 years. The law is not perfect, and improvements can, should, and have been made. I will continue to raise concerns I've heard from folks in my district and to work with the Obama Administration to fix problems as they arise. But there is no question that the responsible course of action is to continue to move forward; ``Aye'' on H.R. 2126, the Energy Efficiency Improvement Act (roll #98), which was a bipartisan bill to expand energy efficiency standards. ____________________