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Today, the House Committee on Ways and Means will markup three pieces of legislation that compliment the recently passed American Health Care Act, legislation that repeals Obamacare and replaces it with free market, patient centered healthcare.

The AHCA repealed close to one trillion in Obamacare taxes, reduced spending, enacted entitlement reform through block granting of Medicaid, and expanded health savings accounts. The legislation will ensure states are able to implement a healthcare system that best fits their needs, and is a giant step forward in lowering taxes and reforming our nation’s health care system.

The three pieces of legislation to be considered by the Committee further compliment the gains made by ensuring that veterans and Americans who recently lost their jobs have the access to the care they need, and implementing robust verification for the AHCA’s tax credit. All Members of the Committee should vote in favor of each piece of legislation.

H.R. 2372, the ‘‘Veterans Equal Treatment Ensures Relief and Access Now (VETERAN) Act,” Sponsored by Rep. Sam Johnson (R-Texas)

The Veteran Act Puts into law an existing regulation that ensures veterans who are not already enrolled in and receiving health insurance through the VA have help to purchase coverage on the individual insurance market. There is no reason that veterans should not receive all the help they deserve, and this legislation helps ensure that is the case.

H.R. 2579, the “Broader Options for Americans Act,” Sponsored by Congressman Pat Tiberi (R-Ohio)

H.R. 2579 ensures Americans who have lost their jobs have access the AHCA’s tax credits. Additionally, it ensures that Americans in similar circumstances who work at churches or other houses of worship can access these tax credits. There is no reason that these Americans should be barred from affordable healthcare simply because of their unique circumstance. This legislation corrects this oversight.

H.R. 2581, the “Verify First Act,” Sponsored by Congressman Lou Barletta (R-Pa.)

The Verify First Act protects taxpayer dollars from waste, fraud, and abuse by tightening verification requirements to ensure that subsidies under current law and tax credits under the AHCA aren’t dispensed until the legal status of an eligible recipient is verified.

Numerous reports by government watchdogs (see here, here, here, here, here) have found that existing controls are insufficient resulting in billions of taxpayer dollars being sent out without verification. This common sense legislation helps correct this weak system by ensuring that controls are stronger and federal resources are not wasted.