The Affordable Health Care for America Act (HR 3962) was introduce on October 29, 2009, and on November 07, 2009 the House of Representatives passed it by a vote of 220-215. We wait, now, for the Senate to vote on its own health care bill. The two bills will then probably be combined in a conference committee before the Congress makes its final decision and the bill can be sent on to the president to be signed into law.

There is great deal of information available about what this bill offers to the people of Texas's 20th Congressional District. Below, you can find links to the full text of the bill, a summary, and a host of fact sheets that break down how various provisions in the legislation will affect you and your loved ones. I encourage you to get the facts so that you can reach your own decisions about the bill. That's what I have been doing. There has also, unfortunately, been a large amount of misinformation or speculation about what's in the bill and what it will do. I've tried to explain to my constituents some what's true and what's not, but I hope that the information below will help you and anyone else who wants to, to be able to understand what HR 3962 would really bring about.

The Bill Itself:

Read the text of the bill here.

A detailed summary of its provisions can be found here.

About the Vote:

How Members of Congress Voted

What The Bill Would Do.

What HR 3962 would mean for Texas's 20th District.

Some of the provisions that would take effect immediately.

MIT study showing families saving $1,260 - $9,000.

How HR 3962 would save money.

The Congressional Budget Office says HR 3962 would cut $104 billion from the deficit.

What HR 3962 would mean for small business owners.

Bi-Partisan Initiatives in the Affordable Health Care for America Act (HR 3962).

Dozens of further analyses of the bill's effects are available here.

The Public Option:

A Piece I Wrote on the Public Option is Here.

FactCheck.Org's Myths and Facts of the Public Option.

Republican Proposal:

The Republican Substitute Bill is here.

Congressional Budget Office Preliminary Analysis of Republican Proposal

Here's My Floor Speech About the Republican Substitute