Chris Murphy: “I remember standing at a supermarket in my district during the campaign or maybe a few years before, and a woman who…”

“I remember standing at a supermarket in my district during the campaign or maybe a few years before, and a woman who was, I think, 59, 58 years old, who had been laid off, and who understandably was having trouble finding new employment. It is difficult for older Americans to find a new job, especially one that has a comprehensive package of benefits. And she looked at me with this blank face and said, ``Why am I in this position? Why can I not get health care when I know the Medicare program is right there? I am willing to pay for it. I am willing to contribute to it. And yet I can't get access to this program simply because I have been put into a situation where I can't find a job or I can't find a job with benefits, and I don't qualify for the program.'' So there are ways that we can help, as you said, those older Americans who are on the cusp of being able to qualify for Medicare, and certainly the millions of children around this country who have no health care insurance and end up getting sick.”