Texas Congressman Pete Sessions on Why Getting Health Care Right is So Important for Americans

Josh Shepherd : Oct 17, 2018
Stream.org

"I have a 24-year-old Down Syndrome son, Alexander. Alex was born into a family that cares about him and cherishes him. In fact, he was given to us as a gift from God exactly how God intended. Any health care plan but mine would have had provisions against Alex, because of his pre-existing conditions at his birth..." -Congressman Pete Sessions

[The Stream] Less than one month until Election Day, many Americans are beginning to closely watch the midterm House races. Few contests are closer than Texas Congressional District 32, where Dallas lawyer Colin Allred is seeking to unseat Congressman Pete Sessions. (Photo: Congressman Pete Sessions (R-TX-32) poses with his son Alexander at a Dallas-area family event. His Congressional race is one of the closest nationwide/Courtesy Sessions Family/via The Stream)

The race is getting national attention. President Donald Trump and former President George W. Bush have endorsed Sessions. Former President Barack Obama is backing Allred.

It's also getting ugly. One SuperPAC put up $2.3 million to blanket local TV with an ad blasting Sessions on his health care reform plan. With ominous music, the ad claims Sessions "voted for the health care repeal bill that lets insurance companies discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions." (The ad cites Vox as a source, while the AARP objected to a brief mention)

"I am very sensitive to this issue," said Sessions in a phone interview on Sunday. "The health care plans Republicans offer provide options and alternatives that would be available in a marketplace to the states. That's consistent with a viewpoint of covering pre-existing conditions."

Sessions spoke via phone with The Stream about health care reform and how his family's personal journey impacts his policy stances.

When Health Care Reform Gets Personal

The Stream: Health care is a hot topic in your Congressional race right now. How is this a personal issue for you and your family?

Congressman Pete Sessions: I have a 24-year-old Down Syndrome son, Alexander. Alex was born into a family that cares about him and cherishes him. In fact, he was given to us as a gift from God exactly how God intended.

Any health care plan but mine would have had provisions against Alex, because of his pre-existing conditions at his birth. It disappoints me that there would be those who would attempt to rally an argument that Republicans are not sensitive to this issue.

In fact, we care very much about families just like we [support] a person later in life who has something that was indigenous to them. There are whole families that run into cancer issues or other medical conditions.

Our party is for the rights of people to have the flexibility to engage as they would choose. We are not [for] an insurance plan that would deny coverage or, as a result of information learned about one's genetic makeup, hold that against people... Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here.

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