On the recordMarch 21, 2010
Our friends on the other side of the aisle have asked frequently tonight what kind of country are we. They've asked exactly the right question. Tomorrow when a person is denied a job because she has breast cancer or is charged higher premiums because he has asthma, what kind of country will we be? Tomorrow when a senior citizen has enough money in her checking account to pay the utility bill or her prescription bill but not both, what kind of country will we be? When a person who tonight is scrubbing floors or pumping gas or waiting on tables tomorrow tries to go to buy a health insurance policy for herself or her children, what kind of country will we be? For Social Security, we gave decency for seniors. In Medicare, we gave compassion for seniors. In the Civil Rights Act, we gave equality for all Americans. Tonight, we will give justice and decency. That's the kind of country that we will be.
