On the recordJanuary 19, 2011
Thank you, Peter Welch. Mr. Speaker, I just find it so interesting that here we are in the new 112th Congress and in the wealthiest Nation on the planet where nearly 50 million Americans still lack health care insurance, 13.5 percent of which are New Yorkers. Last year alone, New York City's hospitals spent $1.2 billion in charity cost. You see, in a city like New York, we're going to make sure that at the moment that people are most vulnerable, in an emergency, they're able to receive health care. But it has cost us $1.2 billion in charity costs. Tragically, people who are either uninsured or underinsured often have to go without the vital health care services they need simply because they can't afford it. Every American has a human right to adequate physical and mental health care, and I believe that government has a responsibility to assist its citizens in securing quality health care. That's why I've been such a fervent supporter of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act which passed the 111th Congress, because it does just that.
