On the recordSeptember 13, 2010
I come to the floor today to discuss an amendment that Senator Johanns, from Nebraska, will be offering to the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act. The amendment to be offered by the Senator from Nebraska--a good friend of mine and a former Secretary of Agriculture--however, would effectively kill the prevention and public health fund that is in the Health Care Act. That would be a grave mistake. The prevention and public health fund was created by the Affordable Care Act that we passed earlier this year. On March 23, when President Obama signed that historic bill into law, our Nation made two giant strides forward. We ensured that all Americans, regardless of means, will have access to quality and affordable health care. We committed ourselves to transforming America's current 'sick care' system into a true health care system. I have been saying for years that what we have in America is not a health care system, we have a 'sick care' system. Once you get sick, you get care one way or the other--emergency room, Medicare, Medicaid, health insurance, whatever. But that is always the most expensive--waiting until someone gets sick, and then you help them. So I have often said that we have a sick care system. A true health care system would put emphasis on keeping someone healthy and out of the hospital in the first place.
