Ami Bera: “I thank my dear friend and colleague from California, Congressman Honda. The reason why we are here today, the reason…”

“I thank my dear friend and colleague from California, Congressman Honda. The reason why we are here today, the reason why we are speaking on the floor today, is because of the importance of Medicare. This isn't a Democratic or a Republican issue. This is an issue that affects all Americans. It's an issue that is dear to all Americans, to all American families. It isn't Democratic or Republican. {time} 1800 That's why I'm wearing this pin that says, ``No Labels.'' Because we've got to move past these labels, Democrat versus Republican, and think about what our values are as Americans--the values of making sure we take care of our parents and grandparents, that we honor the foundation that they built for us, that those that came before us built; that we honor, after a lifetime of work, after a lifetime paying into a system, that they can rest easy, that they know they can get the health care that they need when they need it the most. That's why we want you to share your stories with us about how Medicare has impacted you personally or your family. I think about this and the thousands of patients that I've taken care of, and what Medicare has meant to them; how it saved millions of lives, how it's kept millions of families from falling into poverty because they were able to get the health care that was necessary when they needed it the most. Another one of my constituents, Katherine, shared a story with us recently.…”