On the recordFebruary 18, 2011
I thank my colleague. Another day on a bill that will not create one single job in the United States of America; in fact, a bill that will cost thousands of Americans their jobs. The response just the other day from our Republican colleagues: So be it. Now we have an amendment before us to strip away critical patient protections for consumers, for our constituents. This is an insurance industry dream amendment. We heard from our colleagues they wanted to listen to the American people. They have not had one hearing, not one, to listen to the people around this country who were already benefiting from this bill. The provisions to ensure that kids with diabetes, leukemia, asthma, are not discriminated against by the insurance industry any more, not one mom was heard from. Provisions to make sure that our constituents aren't denied their coverage when they need it the most. There are thousands of Americans out there already benefiting from that. Didn't listen to one of them. And now under the guise of trying to save the taxpayer money, they are offering an amendment that, according to the independent, nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, will increase the deficit over the next 10 years by $230 billion. And when it's fully implemented, the bill, and you strip it away, it will add $1.4 trillion to the deficit. I just urge my colleagues to read the letter from January of this year from the head of the CBO to the Speaker of the House. It's right in there, plain and simple.
