On the recordFebruary 18, 2011
Good afternoon. Madam Chair, somewhere in America today a family is losing their home because they can't afford the health care premiums for a diabetic dad and a hypertensive mom. Somewhere in America tonight a child will die because they have been denied health care because of a preexisting condition. Somewhere in America tomorrow a family will go bankrupt because they took care of a cancer-stricken family member. Black, white, Hispanic, Asian, urban, rural Republican, Democrat, independent, tea party, it doesn't matter. At some time in our life we will all get sick. We need health care. But you know what? We, as Members of Congress, are very fortunate. We all get health care. We get the very best. But what about Jennifer and Lisa and James and grandma and grandpa and the Johnsons and baby Joshua? We represent them too. They deserve what we get. My constituents sent me to Washington to preserve the affordable health care legislation. They are proud of the product that the 111th Congress and Nancy Pelosi and President Obama produced. Long live affordable health care legislation. On behalf of the people of this Nation who depend on our leadership, I call upon you to defeat this amendment.





