Janice Schakowsky

It's time for millionaires and billionaires to pay their fair share. This isn't about punishment or revenge--it's about fairness.

The alarming redistribution of wealth that is shrinking the middle class is another grave threat to both our economy and our democracy.

Now we are on an 'unsustainable fiscal path,' to quote the Commission report, which threatens our economic viability.

Not only do we need revenues, but we need to do so in a fair way. Those who have been enjoying the prosperity of recent years should have to pay their share.

I served, along with the chairman of the full committee, Mr. Ryan, on the President's National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform.

Let me just associate myself with the President's remarks yesterday that he would not hesitate to enforce commonsense safeguards to protect the American people.

I am very grateful for the lives that will be saved and injuries that will be prevented because of the regulation.

I do want to tell you that on December 10th, 2010, Representative Pressley and I sent a letter to the CEO at Johnson & Johnson, Alex Gorsky, about the targeted marketing and sale of your talc-based baby powder and its potential to cause…

I am a strong supporter of stabilizing Medicare physicians' payments permanently. Short-term fixes create instability and uncertainty for physicians and patients. But if we don't act now, on June 1 our doctors are going to see their…

I rise in support of this en bloc amendment, which includes my amendment to improve oversight of contractors in Afghanistan. The United States employs over 100,000 contractors in Afghanistan, and we need to ensure that we have adequate…

We're going to close the doughnut hole entirely over 10 years, but we're going to start right away. $250 it's going to be reduced and, for brand name drugs that are in the--

And the United States of America ranks--what is it?-- about 17th in the world in our health outcomes next to hardly developed countries, and the reason is simple. We have 30 million people who have no health insurance, and then we have…

France is considered number one in the world in terms of health care results. They have healthier people than anyone else in the world as a population, and they spend far less than we do, about half what we do per person.

Let me emphasize that. I think that is one of the most important things that's in our legislation. Because, after all, who does not have some kind of preexisting condition? And for the insurance companies, sometimes they'll call acne a…

The do nothing deal is better than the plan that they say is good for Americans.

And what it means is, when you would get to 65 years old, rather than getting Medicare, you would get a voucher and be told, Go out and buy insurance. There is no more guaranteed Medicare for you. There is no more guaranteed package of…

The proposal that was laid out by Representative Paul Ryan, the top Republican on the House Budget Committee, he laid out what he called the roadmap that would actually end Medicare for you as an individual.

That's right. And let me say I think truly this is one of the dividing lines between the Democratic majority that's about to pass this bill that stands with the American people versus the Republicans who persistently have stood on the side…

Ninety-four percent rate increases in the last 2 years. Something clearly needs to be done to get them under control. This bill does that. It says that they will have to justify, they'll have to open their books, they'll have to explain…

First of all, it's no wonder that the insurance industry is fighting us tooth and nail and with millions upon millions of dollars in TV advertising because they are making so much money and they do that by raising their rates. And it's…

And the truth of it is that pregnancy, in some cases, is considered a preexisting condition. A C-section, a cesarean section, being a victim of domestic violence is a preexisting condition that could make you ineligible. If you go out on…

Let me comment on this gender discrimination. I think the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, put it really well today--some of the women had a meeting with her--when she said, being a woman is a preexisting condition.

Seventy-five percent of them already have health insurance. They're going bankrupt.

And the other was that she had misstated her weight-- understated her weight. Now I make a little joke, like what woman hasn't? You know, you have an accident, and people look at the driver's license and say, Who is this woman? She is not…

Let's talk a little bit more about that, about why it is that the insurance industry would be against this bill. Because you could say, Well, 30 million more people are going to go into the insurance market. Why wouldn't they want more…