On the recordMarch 18, 2010
I also want to thank Congresswoman Woolsey for her impassioned and principled leadership not only on this issue but so many issues facing Americans. To loosely paraphrase Judy Collins, We have looked at health insurance reform from both sides now--from insurance companies and consumers, from Wall Street and families, from Republicans and Democrats. But there has been something missing from the debate. This evening I would like to ask the question: What's a woman worth? Just how important is it to make sure that quality, affordable health care is affordable to the grandmothers, the mothers, the daughters, and sisters who are responsible for 80 percent of a family's health care decisions; 64 percent of a families' budgets; who represent 79 percent of the health care providers in this country. What is a woman worth? Is a woman worth as much as a man? One would think so, unless, of course, one was considering our current health care system, a system where women pay higher health care costs than men.
