Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this flawed health bill. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share my outrage about the lack of protection for health programs provided to veterans, servicemembers or their families in the health reform bill under consideration by the House of Representatives. This bill is deeply flawed. It covers TRICARE For Life but leaves out the other TRICARE programs that serve 9.2 million beneficiaries. Any health care reform legislation must explicitly protect TRICARE and all other Defense or Veterans Department health plans by including them in the definition of ``acceptable'' or ``minimum essential coverage.'' If the health care reform package under consideration today by the House of Representatives passes, millions of servicemembers, veterans, and their dependents across the Nation will be at risk of having their insurance plan being deemed ``unacceptable'' and therefore have to purchase supplemental insurance or obtain a new plan altogether. The tens of thousands of servicemembers, veterans, and their dependents in the first congressional district of Virginia have made great sacrifices for our Nation. I have long held the belief that the benefits afforded our men and women in uniform have been earned through sacrifice and hardship. The TRICARE and Veterans (VA) health care systems are unique and are designed to fulfill certain requirements that are not shared by the private sector.…”