Tammy Baldwin: “for the third consecutive year, this week our country has designated Cover the Uninsured Week. Led by former Presidents…”

“for the third consecutive year, this week our country has designated Cover the Uninsured Week. Led by former Presidents Ford and Carter, hundreds of national and local organizations, as well as thousands of Americans in all 50 States, are participating in week-long activities to highlight the national health care crisis. This is one of those annual events that I wish we did not need to observe. Cover The Uninsured Week should be unnecessary. Moreover, millions of Americans who are underinsured should not be paying such a high price both emotionally and financially. There is simply no justifiable reason why the United States is the only industrialized country in the world that does not guarantee health care for all. So, Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to draw attention to the 45 million Americans who do not have health insurance and the millions more who are underinsured. Our Nation is in the midst of an escalating health care crisis. As health care costs soar, it becomes increasingly difficult for Americans to obtain comprehensive and affordable health care. Our current health care system is failing not only the 45 million Americans who are uninsured, but also millions more who do not receive comprehensive health care. We can no longer turn our backs while millions more lose access to health care. Additionally, health care is becoming increasingly expensive even for those who are fully insured.…”