On the recordFebruary 24, 2010
I thank the chairman for his generous remarks and for his tremendous leadership in bringing this important legislation to the floor. Mr. Conyers is well known as a champion of the people, and today he demonstrates that once again. This House of Representatives, Mr. Chairman, is called the people's House, and you are a leader in the people's House. Today we live up to that name by passing legislation that increases leverage for people. By changing the playing field, a playing field that has been dominated by the insurance industry for over 65 years. And now it's the people's turn. The insurance companies will now be playing on the people's field. Mr. Conyers, thank you for your ongoing leadership, for fairness, for competition, for a better deal for the American people. I also want to commend chairwoman of the Rules Committee, Louise Slaughter, for her ongoing and persistent insistence that this legislation come to the floor. This antitrust exemption was passed, again, over 60 years ago and it was supposed to last 3 years. Sixty-five years later we are on the floor of the House to finally repeal the special exemption that insurance companies have that no other industry, except Major League Baseball, has in our country.





