Political Quotes

On the recordJanuary 20, 2011
I am actually disappointed that I am standing on the floor of the House of Representatives today yet again defending and protecting the rights of the American people to health care. It is such a shame that yesterday and the day before for 7 hours our Members on the other side of the aisle spent their time deciding for the American people to take away the ability of parents to provide health care for their young people up to age 26. They spent 7 hours, other than finding jobs, trying to make sure that small businesses who are providing health care don't get a tax credit anymore for the health care that they are providing for their employees. They spent 7 hours trying to strip away the ability of our seniors to make sure that they don't have to reach into their own pockets, deeper pockets, not deep anymore, to pay for prescription drugs. Yesterday and the day before they spent 7 hours debating whether it is a good idea for insurance companies to be able to deny people health care for preexisting conditions when they know that at least 129 million of us, 65 percent or so of us, actually have preexisting medical conditions. So it is really disappointing that here we are yet again with the Republicans saying we took it all away in one day, and now we are going to think about some of it that we might replace again. Well, we have created a health care law for the American people that is about affordability and accessibility.
Said by
John Bel Edwards
Democratic · Louisiana
Source
govinfo.gov
Jan 20, 2011

Editor's note · Context

The speaker is addressing the ongoing debate over health care rights and protections in the House.

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