On the recordMarch 21, 2010
We come to the floor for thousands of votes each year, but no single vote comes with so many personal stories within our families and my own. In our districts, people have spoken out about the need for real reform. The millions and millions that have health insurance now worry about losing it. The average premium for employer-based insurance has more than doubled in the last 10 years. And I heard from a woman that had worked for a large company, started her own franchise, and she writes, ``I exhausted my COBRA, then joined a group health plan. Several years ago, I had open heart surgery. The group disbanded. No insurance company would touch me with a 10-foot pole. I am uninsured and was just diagnosed with my second episode of breast cancer, with no insurance.'' I heard from a young man diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 17. His disease went into remission. He started to work. He was laid off, uninsured, and when he started to get sick again, he had to turn to emergency rooms for care.
