Lynn C. Woolsey: “Thank you, Congresswoman Watson. And I want to thank Chairman Conyers for organizing this special order and for his…”

“Thank you, Congresswoman Watson. And I want to thank Chairman Conyers for organizing this special order and for his leadership on universal health care. I am glad to join with my colleague, Diane Watson, and Jan Schakowsky is here, and we just heard from Sheila Jackson-Lee, to highlight the need for health care for not just some Americans but all Americans. Mr. Speaker, more than 47 million Americans are uninsured, an increase of 6 million since this administration took office. Nearly 10 million of those uninsured are children, children under the age of 18. It is unforgivable that a country as wealthy as the United States of America cannot find a way to provide health insurance to its entire population. Actually, when there is a will, there is said to be a way. So the United States must not have the will to provide health coverage to every single American. Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program, CHIP, are important safety nets for children whose families cannot afford to purchase health insurance. However, even with these programs, 10 million children still lack health insurance.”