Janice Schakowsky: “I am so proud to join with many of my colleagues in celebrating John Dingell and recognizing the many, many things that…”

“I am so proud to join with many of my colleagues in celebrating John Dingell and recognizing the many, many things that he has achieved for our country. It is not just that John Dingell has been the longest serving Member in history; it is what he did in his 30 terms in the House. Many today will honor him for his support of civil rights and voting rights, his lifelong support for working men and women and their unions, for the environment and much, much more. But for me, it is his passionate advocacy for national health care. I came to Congress with the number one priority of winning affordable, quality, and comprehensive health care for all Americans. I worked to join the Energy and Commerce Committee so that I could learn from John Dingell, who has been called a legend in the fight for universal coverage. Following in the footsteps of his father, a key player in the passage of Social Security in 1935 and himself a strong fighter for national health care, Chairman Dingell introduced the U.S. National Health Insurance Act in his very first term, and he has been fighting to make health care a right ever since. John Dingell sat in that chair when we passed Medicare and Medicaid and gaveled it into law. He pushed for the Patients' Bill of Rights. He led the way as we created the Children's Health Insurance Program, and he was a key reason we were able to pass the Affordable Care Act in 2010.…”