On the recordMarch 20, 2010
When we had to come to this floor and provide extra money for those veterans to shore up this health care system, or the many veterans that I work for in my office that come and ask about helping them get their benefits because it's a logjammed system that we're continuing to try to work on. So don't use this argument about the TRICARE. We're protecting the TRICARE system, as well as the veterans hospitalization system. But those veteran families and their extended family members who are uninsured or the 45,000 who die every year because they have no insurance, this is the toughest health insurance reform that we've ever been able to do. And I can tell you, my friend, health insurance companies, you need to be tough with them, because all they can see is the dollar and the up and up and up of the premiums. And I want to say enough is enough. So this is not a lethal injection. This is a lifeline. This is a rope being thrown into the water to drag those out who are drowning because they can't get any health insurance. And this is not socialized medicine, nor was it with Medicaid or Medicare or the veterans system. It is helping Americans using their tax dollars in a wise way. We need to move forward on health care reform and dunk the ball and win the game.
