Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, issued the following statement in advance of the House of Representatives’ vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

“Congress needs to be doing all it can to create jobs. Instead, House Republicans are forcing yet another vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act. This political stunt will create exactly zero jobs—just like the last 30 times they have tried to roll back vital patient protections with repeal votes.

“It is hard to understand what Republicans mean when they talk about ‘repealing and replacing Obamacare,’ when the only alternative they have come up with is Romneycare. Maybe Republicans are just upset that they are not getting the credit they deserve for coming up with the individual mandate in the first place.

“When it comes to health care, there’s no going back to 2009 or 1789. Congress passed this law. The President signed it. And two weeks ago, the Supreme Court deemed it Constitutional. It is time for House Republicans to move on and work across the aisle to boost the economy and create jobs across America.

“Repealing the Affordable Care Act would mean taking away health care for 17 million kids with preexisting conditions. Repealing the Affordable Care Act would mean that seniors in Northwest Washington would pay hundreds of dollars more each year for their prescription medications. Repealing the Affordable Care Act would mean 6.6 million young adults across the country would be kicked off their parents’ health insurance.

“Northwest Washington is already seeing the improvements from the Affordable Care Act. Seniors in Snohomish, Skagit, Whatcom, Island and San Juan counties who are in the Medicare donut hole have saved more than $800 on their prescription medications so far this year alone. Nearly 33,000 kids and 140,000 adults in our area now have health insurance that covers preventive care like check-ups and cancer screenings without co-pays, coinsurance, or deductibles.

“With an unemployment rate of 8.3 percent in Washington state, Congress should be exploring every option to get people back to work. While Republicans are carrying on with their political sideshow, Democrats are working to pass legislation to bring jobs home from overseas, invest in a 21st Century workforce and build a strong foundation for economic growth.”