Steve Cohen: “Yesterday, President Obama spoke about health care. He said, If not now, when? And if not us, who? President Obama was…”

“Yesterday, President Obama spoke about health care. He said, If not now, when? And if not us, who? President Obama was correct. He knew that the duty and the obligations of this House are to pass momentous legislation to help the American people. It's engraved above the Speaker's rostrum in words from Daniel Webster, Let us gather all resources and do something worthwhile and momentous and great while we are here with the resources of this country, something to be remembered. Health care has been on the American agenda for 100 years, starting with Teddy Roosevelt in 1912. It went through Harry Truman, through Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, and today Barack Obama. We are here to fulfill Ted Kennedy's dream and the work of many Congresses and the American people. I have had several constituents come to me and tell me of serious, serious illnesses they've had, that they would have gone broke if they didn't have insurance. And if they didn't have insurance and their cancer surgeries weren't covered, we would pay for it in the tax we pay that we don't know about of $1,000 per person for uncompensated care. Let's do something worthwhile. Let's pass health care.”