On the recordMarch 21, 2010
Let me remind us of a man who does not live today, Senator Edward Kennedy told us that he had a vision and a resolve that the health care of Americans would no longer count on whether or not they were wealthy Americans. And we are reminded as well of the words of President John F. Kennedy that said: Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. This is not an unfunded mandate because we know full well that the CBO has said that this bill will pay for itself, that the deficit will be reduced by $130 billion in the first 10 years, and that the deficit will be cut by $1.2 trillion in the second 10 years. It eliminates the Medicare doughnut hole, and it insures some 32 million more people. But I am standing here today because 45,000 Americans die every year like Eric, a 32-year-old lawyer who went to the emergency room not once but three times. They sent him away with antibiotics and aspirin, but he died. I cannot tolerate that. Today we will heal this land, and we will vote for this health care bill. It is not an unfunded mandate. This health care reform is fair and must succeed.
