Mr. President, it is hard to narrow down the best story to tell. In fact, they are all bad stories. They are all terrible stories. Kansans are also struggling under the consequences of the passage of the Affordable Care Act. It bothers me so many times it’s suggested that this is just a problem with implementation. The problem that Americans and Kansans are facing today really is the crux, the underlying basis for the provisions of the Affordable Care Act. This is not only an implementation problem—it is not only a computer problem—it is the theory on which the Affordable Care Act was based.

An example I would like to describe to my colleagues in the Senate is from a constituent from Newton, KS, which is a city in the center of the state. He writes:

“We were notified by our health insurance carrier that our premiums on our small business plan were to increase 24 percent on our renewal date because of the coverage mandated by the ACA starting in 2014. As small business owners in our late 50s we have struggled to find affordable health insurance for years. About 2 years ago we were able to sign up for a plan offered to small businesses through a well known carrier. It was not a Cadillac plan since we each had a $5,000 deductible and no coverage for maternity—we didn't need—contraception—we  didn't need—but it covered the things we wanted and needed. Unfortunately, the premium increase is going to put this plan in the unaffordable range again. I have not yet been able to get on healthcare.gov. The few times I've tried it has either been down or locked up during access. As a business owner with employees and a lot of responsibilities, the time I have to spend messing around with a slow or non-responsive web site is limited and personally expensive.”

Our constituents need help, and the Affordable Care Act is why they need help.