Political Quotes

“I rise in recognition of Cover the Uninsured Week, which is being held this year from April 23 to 29. As many of us know, this nonpartisan initiative was created to focus the Nation's attention on one of the most serious challenges facing our health care system--ensuring access to quality, affordable coverage. Since the first annual Cover the Uninsured Week was observed 5 years ago, the health care crisis has, unfortunately, worsened. At last count, nearly 46 million Americans lacked coverage, including 400,000 in my home State of Nevada. More than 100,000 of these uninsured Nevadans are children. The context for these numbers, which are staggering in themselves, is even more troubling. For too many, premium costs are escalating faster than they can manage while benefits are deteriorating. Being a hard-working American is also no longer a ticket to health coverage, as shown by the fact that 8 out of 10 uninsured people either work or are in working families. Even when they can find good health insurance, many families must shortchange other basic needs to afford out-of-pocket expenses or forgo necessary care altogether. Every year we update these statistics and findings about the uninsured, but the same themes still ring true. The goal should be to ensure that all Americans can access and afford the health care they need, regardless of their income, age, employment, or health status. Sadly, we as a nation continue to fall short.”