Patricia Schroeder: “health insurance has really not been insurance for a very long time, because we have allowed those companies to refuse…”

“health insurance has really not been insurance for a very long time, because we have allowed those companies to refuse coverage to anybody who needs it. So today we have a great chance to do something about this. We have a chance to free people up who have been locked in their jobs because they do not dare lose their health insurance, and we have the ability of people to be able to port around their insurance coverage. And the Republican extremists in the House are about to derail this bipartisan train, this bipartisan train that came speeding out of the Senate, and this bipartisan train that the New York Times is talking about today, as they say, ``The House Republicans have added amendments that are not only bad health policy, but could delay passage of this useful health care reform.'' Mr. Speaker, I think it is time we stand up and say to the extremists, ``Please, stop this. America has been waiting much too long for this portability and for having some price constraints, and ending the denying of these preexisting conditions as a way to shut you out of your health care. Stand up to the extremists, finally. Please, let us get some health care reform.”