Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Judge Jean Murrell Capers, a courageous woman whose very productive life serves as example of what can be accomplished through determination and dedication.

Judge Capers will celebrate her 98th birthday on January 11, 2011. Her 98 years have been filled with selfless service to others.

From 1949 to 1956 she served on the Cleveland City Council, becoming the first African-American women elected to the city council of a major city. Between 1960 and 1964 she worked as assistant attorney general and from 1964 to 1966 she was special counsel to the Ohio Attorney General. In 1977, she was appointed as an Ohio Municipal Judge and was subsequently reelected to a 6 year term. Judge Capers fulfilled her campaign promises by assisting many black Clevelanders in finding positions with the city and by speaking out against injustice, including segregation in the local taxi cab industry. She continues today to work as an attorney with a special focus on elder law, advocating for victims of social injustice.

Judge Capers is one of the original members of the Women's Advisory Council of the Women's Division previously known as the Ohio Bureau of Employment Services, now the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. In 1941, she won Cleveland's tennis championship which was organized by the city recreation department. She went on to teach health and physical education at Central High School and has worked throughout her life to support youth, encouraging them to strive to achieve academic and social success.

She was elected to the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame in 1997. In 2010, she received a Cleveland Marshall College of Law honorary doctorate of laws degree, 64 years after graduating from that institution. That same year,

she was named one of Cleveland's ``Most Interesting People.''

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring Judge Jean Murrell Capers.

We are one as we pay tribute to Congresswoman Giffords and all the other victims of violence in Tucson. Our gathering reflects the truth of America's first motto, which is above this Chamber, E Pluribus Unum--Out of Many, We Are One.

It is vital that we acknowledge our oneness, not just as a Congress, but as a Nation and as a world. In that appreciation for oneness, we find human sympathy, compassion, and love. It is an awareness of the imperative of human unity which can bring us to the threshold of understanding our power to bring an end to the violence which is consuming our loved ones. It is an awareness of the imperative of human unity which can help us to create a new America where the omnipresence of violence is understood as a challenge to be met, not as an unyielding truth of the human condition to be accepted.

Our hearts are open now as we recognize the victims. So let us be open to a new direction, where we in this Nation can take an organized approach to deal with the causes of violence, not just the effects. We are one with our sister, Congresswoman Giffords, and all the other victims. Let us continue to be one with each other as we struggle to bring light to this moment of darkness.

Mr. Speaker, I submit the following stories, collected by Dr. Ogan Gurel.

``Tom described a situation in which he was buying two

batteries for a scooter. Since he was paying out-of-pocket,

they discounted the price $30 below the price they charged

Medicare. `Something fishy is going on,' he said.'' Tom--

Chester, 7/14/2009

``I met Sharyn at the DaVinci salon. No, I wasn't going in

for a pedicure, which, with the condition my feet were in

wouldn't have been easy anyway. Actually, she peeked out the

door and asked, `Are you that doctor walking from Chicago to

DC?' and invited me in for a glass of water. Being busy with

clients, there was no opportunity to get any stories. But

they all were supportive of the Walk. `We sure need

healthcare reform,' Sharyn said, as her co-workers gathered

about along with the clients reclining in their chairs nodded

in agreement.'' Sharyn--Chester, 7/14/2009

``Gayla told me that she and her husband have been `very

lucky.' They've had employer-provided insurance through

Verizon--`pretty good insurance,' she told me. But Frontier

is buying the West Virginia assets of the company, so in the

transition, as she put it, they have no idea what it'll mean

for them. This is important because her stepson has cystic

fibrosis (CF). At age 23 he's a real survivor. He's done well

but lately, from an insurance standpoint, it's gotten very

complicated. Based on doctor's orders, he's strictly limited

to very light work, at a maximum of 30 hours a week. So

essentially, as Gayla told me, `He's stuck with a part-time

employment status. Insurance on his own is not a

possibility,' she added. `And he can't get SSI because he

actually can work a little.' And while Verizon promised to

cover him (as part of their employer-based coverage) even

into adulthood, Gayla and her husband don't know if that

agreement will be honored by the new company. She doubts that

it will be. It sounds like there are so

many cracks in the system, I said. `Yes. It's a real problem.

And it's not abstract--my son's life depends on it.' ''

Gayla--Hagerstown, 7/22/2009

`` `I've got no money for insurance,' Shirley, working

behind the counter at Reeve's marketplace, told me. `Just

Medicare, pretty healthy, I'm lucky.' She told me how she

didn't sign up for the AARP prescription medication plan. `It

didn't make sense,' she said. `AARP wasn't really paying and

they seemed to be getting the higher priced drugs anyway.' ''

Shirley--Hookstown, 7/14/2009

``As I entered Pittsburgh, Deb, working the counter at the

Miley's BP convenience store, told me she has no insurance.

She'll only go to the doctor if absolutely necessary.

`Basically,' she told me, `healthcare is just not available.'

'' Deb--Pittsburgh, 7/15/2009

``Robin, whose smile brightened up my day after a long day

walking, told me the story about her girlfriend in Chicago.

`She was doing well, but then lost her job. She lost her

health insurance and last year, at age 50, was diagnosed with

multiple myeloma.' So how did she deal with that? `Well, she

had to come up with $689/month for her insurance, the

hospital would not provide healthcare otherwise.' As her

condition got even more serious, all of their mutual friends

and sorority sisters (Delta Sigma Phi) have been raising

funds and sending her money for her care. `I guess,' Robin

told me, `if it wasn't for us, she could be dead.' She said

it without ego or braggadocio but rather out of sadness (even

with our bright smile) that it had to be that way.'' Robin--

Pittsburgh, 7/15/2009

``Rhonda returned to Pennsylvania to take care of her

elderly family. She's had self-pay insurance via Highmark,

the major insurer in the Pittsburgh market. `It's alright so

long as you don't get sick.' Regarding the recent debates in

Congress, she also added, `If you believe anything those

execs put out, then you're a fool.' She had a situation last

year of right upper-quadrant abdominal pain. She went to the

ER, which was an ordeal. They started the work-up, a GI

consult, surgical consult, ultrasound, HIDA scan were ordered

and was admitted for overnight observation. She told me all

the tests returned negative. And then, Highmark ended up

denying the $7,000 for the hospital stay and all the

radiology consults deeming that it was all medically

unnecessary. `There was no way for me to know they wouldn't

cover it.' The hospital called for pre-approval, but the

insurance company still had denied it. But Rhonda fought it,

saying either the hospital was practicing fraudulent medicine

or the company was wrong. `They finally backed-off and paid.'

Rhonda also described a story from a friend of hers who

worked as a dental assistant. She had attended a conference

on billing which the whole point of which was how to bill so

the insurance company could deny the claim: what diagnostic

categories to use, etc. The percentage of people who would

not fight was estimated at 70%.'' Rhonda--Pittsburgh, 7/16/

2009

``As an ambulance driver, John definitely notes that, `the

uninsured come to us in a more severe state. They don't have

a family doctor and so in the ER people end up having to wait

more because these critically ill patients come in.' He told

me it was not uncommon for them to wait six months to a year

before seeking any medical attention.'' John--Braddock, 7/16/

2009

``As an EMT, Christina's seen diabetics without medications

coming into the ER two to three times a week because their

sugar gets out of whack. They really don't have any health

care access otherwise.'' Christina--Braddock, 7/16/2009

``Zenobia has to see a doctor regularly for her

prescriptions. `It's really hard, because I have no

insurance,' she said. `And I work hard. But since I'm part-

time, Medicaid says I'm not eligible.' But since she's

working only 25 hours a week, she doesn't apparently qualify

for insurance through her employer either. `According to

Medicaid, you're working,' she said. But according to her

employer, `You're not working.' The cracks in the system she

was facing, seemed, from her expression, to be more like

gaping chasms, with no way out. When she heard public

assistance was no longer available for her, she called them,

crying, `Why have I been dropped?' To which they answered,

`You make more than $200 a month.' So she makes do with a

hodge-podge of different programs and deals. She's able to

keep her medication bill down to $60 a month because the

pharmacy has a special plan but her various other medical

bills have accumulated to close to $6,000. `It's all a mess,

all so complicated,' she told me. 'And if I really get hurt,

I'm pretty much screwed.' '' Zenobia--North Braddock, 7/16/

2009

``At the tail end of a monstrous thunderstorm, seeking some

shelter, even though I was soaking wet anyway, I met Mary at

the Wendy's just west of Greensburg. She was there with her

daughter and grandson. We talked about the Walk and about

health care reform. Mary shared with me the story of her son,

Jim. `He works in a plant nursery. He's got no insurance but

suffers from sympathetic dystrophy, you know what that is,

right?' Yes, I replied. `He's self-pay but basically he just

suffers in pain. It breaks my heart.' '' Mary--Greensburg, 7/

17/2009

`` `You can reach out for help, but if you have no health

insurance you're nobody.' That's how Rebecca concluded the

story she told me about the death of her boyfriend. It's a

complicated story but basically the 24-year-old was off and

on in a Methadone rehab program. He was doing well in rehab

when his treatment was about 1/2 done, his insurance ran out.

Because of this, `The rehab facility, kicked him out,'

Rebecca told me. She explained how, with withdrawal symptoms

kicking in, he arrived home very sick. Two days later, near-

comatose he was taken to the hospital where he was admitted

to the ICU with liver failure but, according to Rebecca,

they, `really didn't do anything.' At the time of his death,

she said, with incredulity, that the staff was joking in

front of her, laughing even. The trauma continued, even after

his death. She described how the coroner came in and started

accusing people. `Then a doctor arrived, and asked if the

decedent had insurance.' Rebecca shook her head. `No, I

answered. And the doctor asked if I wanted to see the body. I

said, yes, but he told me that they had taken it away to make

room for the next body.' Rebecca told me it was all very

sarcastic and cruel. But the nightmare was not over. Then the

bills started arriving. They were not married but the rehab

center (which kicked him out) and the hospital demanded

payment. `They fraudulently indicated that I signed the

bills,' said Rebecca. `It's been two years now and they're

still sending bills. Between the doctor and the financial

games, I never had a chance to grieve over his death.'

Rebecca's eyes saddened as I asked her to sign for her

consent. `You can reach out for help, but if you have no

health insurance you're nobody.' '' Rebecca--Greensburg, 7/

17/2009

``Ryan is a young American. 24 years old, sporting an

unassuming t-shirt and buzz cut, he exudes a personality

simultaneously reserved and forthright. He has a gracious

smile, offered with a twist of the head but then when he

looks at you, with a piercing gaze, his face turns serious.

As a writer, he seeks to deeply understand people, yet some

things, like healthcare insurance, elude even his keen

comprehension. Brought up in a family who never had health

insurance, Ryan is, nevertheless, a man with energetic

ambitions. After an early honorable discharge from the Army--

for medical reasons--and a fruitless search for a job, he is

working to finish his first novel, Ever Street Road, a

parable, as he calls it, for the choices in life that one

makes. Yet, in this great country, bursting with infinite

possibility, Ryan has few, if any, choices. Infinitude meets

finitude--this is America. The future is but an illusion. Not

knowing whether there will be healthcare for all or only

healthcare for some, Ryan and I, sharing dinner, are focused

on the present and the past. This is the only thing we truly

know. The future, a future where the young ambitions of

earnest, yet thwarted souls, might reach their full

potential, is only a dream. Reality is how I met Ryan and

what brought him to run up the hill to meet me on US 30 as

18-wheelers thundered past. Just east of North Versailles,

about 25 miles beyond my initial walking point, the last few

miles trundled on through with pain. My feet--a jumble of

collapsing arches, exploding blisters, and hemorrhaging nail

beds--were beyond rebellion. I would have ordinarily arranged

a pick-up to take me to the next hotel--now about eight miles

east--but this had not materialized. And the transport for

the bag--the 70 pound suitcased monstrosity--from which I

live, had not been arranged. And despite the physical

tribulations of walking nearly 24 miles a day, the most

challenging part of the Walk has been the logistics. Lodging,

pick-up (often the bunk down place is not necessarily on my

walking route), and bag transport had all to be arranged. If

any one of these elements fell through, the Walk would come

to a standstill. At this point, I was not worried so much

about that. With the sun now setting, knowing that I would

soon be walking in the dark--the time when sounds become more

important than sights--I was worried about my survival,

concerned about arriving at the motel--if I made it at all--

well after midnight. At the bottom of the hill, I had stopped

at a McDonald's to replenish myself with water and recharge

my phone batteries. I slipped on my safety vest and grimly

headed up the hill. A young man, gasping for breath, came up

beside me. Cars rushed by and instinctively motioned him

towards the narrow shoulder. `Are . . . are you Doctor

Gurel?' he asked, wide-eyed, disbelieving. I was on the

phone, still working feverishly to arrange transport of my

bag. Too tired to be surprised, I smiled at him, and nodded.

`I was following you on Twitter and . . . and I just had to

come and meet you.' I hung up the phone, and out of habit

continued on forward, as the young man joined me. `I'm Ryan,

Ryan Trump,' he added. Oh yes! From Facebook! `Yes,' he said,

his face twisting, searching for words to describe a

situation for which there was no precedent. `Wow, I can't

believe this.' What? `That I met you here.' I chuckled.

`Crazy, isn't it?' Ryan and I had exchanged some e-mails

during the past few weeks on Facebook, and it was strange

indeed that an entirely electronic friendship had

materialized here on the not-so-isolated Lincoln Highway east

of Pittsburgh. And so we talked--talked with amazement about

the GPS tracking technology that had brought Ryan to my very

spot. We talked about healthcare. But I had to interrupt him.

Ryan, I have a problem. `What's that?' My motel is about

seven miles up, in Irwin. I have no pick-up to get there.

Could you help out? `That's the least I can do!' I smiled

weakly. Deliverance, in the form of Ryan Trump, shy but

forthright, gracious but ambitious, had arrived. I was

grateful for the wonders of technology and even more for the

grace of initiative and real, not electronic, fellowship. And

so, after a couple of hours of back-and-forth driving, Ryan

and I

delivered the suitcase and myself to the motel in Irwin. But

that was the present. The following evening I had dinner with

Ryan and we talked about the past. The present and the past:

while this is what we know, we spoke out of hope for the

future. A future with healthcare for all, and not just for

some. A future where the imagined infinitude of possibilities

cross with the crushing reality of no possibility. `My family

has never had health insurance,' Ryan told me. `My father

worked in maintenance at the hospital for 36 years. And we

never had health insurance but we could get care through the

hospital.' That's good, I replied. `Then the hospital closed,

back in 2006, and he got laid off . . . but he was close to

retirement anyway.' So what do you do now? `It's difficult.

My mom's got a heart condition, had a heart attack back in

2000. You know it could always happen again. She's got four

types of drugs.' How do you pay for it? `It's all out-of-

pocket.' But you told me that you had troubles with the bank.

`That's just the way it goes--you pay for the medications

when you can.' I shook my head. And how about for you? What's

it like to not have insurance? Ryan, who would usually look

straight at me with those forthright, almost aggressive eyes,

glanced down. `Well, you got aches and pains, but you think,

do I deal with the pain or do I go to the hospital and suffer

accumulated debt? I'm 24 years old and my credit score is

probably garbage. Can't do anything in life with that, you

know.' I figured, listening between the lines, that Ryan had,

in fact, gotten some healthcare, and the `accumulated debt'

he had referred to was real. How's the asthma? I asked. (This

was the reason for the honorable, medical discharge from the

service.) `Oh, that's not too bad. But there was this other

situation.' What was that? Ryan thought for a moment, then

looked up. `Well, I had a lump,' he said, pointing below the

table. 24 year old young man, I realized that he was likely

referring to testicular cancer--a condition made widely known

by Lance Armstrong's experience, and survival. Did you get it

checked out? `Well, I was holding off for the longest time.

But it was quickly getting bigger.' My heart sank, but the

fact of the rapid enlargement, encouragingly suggested to me

that it wasn't cancer. And? `So I did go to the doctor

eventually.' Ryan smiled and sighed. `He said it was some

sort of hydrocele.' Oh yes, that's good news. `They did an

ultrasound . . . and, of course, I got all the bills. There

was no way I could pay for them so I didn't even open them

up.' An odd mix, a contradiction even, that with the

wonderful news--namely that one did not have cancer--there

came delivered a message of debt peonage that inspired even

more despair than the dreaded diagnosis itself. It was almost

as if the healthcare system itself was the cancer.'' Ryan--

Greensburg, 7/17/2009

``Bob has worked for the government for 44 years. He told

me that he's always had health insurance (BC/BS via the

government plan). `Why is it not possible to make that

available to all?' he wondered. `It's the same plan as that

for Congressmen and Senators.' He added that it was a big

pool and that `it would bring in younger people, make the

insurance for all more affordable.' But, he explained, `It's

different with corporate America. I'm retired now but I still

get the same coverage as those who are still employed in

government.' '' Bob--Greensburg, 7/18/2009

``Terry's here in Greensburg visiting from Philadelphia.

She shared with me the story of her mother's untimely death,

which resulted, in her estimation, from a nightmarish

confluence of administrative barriers and inhumane insurance

policies. The story goes as follows. Her mother underwent a

liver biopsy. This was on a Friday. As Terry explained to me,

'She was done as an outpatient, but even though the surgeon

said it was complicated, with bleeders, she was not permitted

by her insurance to stay overnight.' She returned home for

the weekend. On Sunday, she went to the emergency room with

escalating pain but was sent home again being told it was a

gallbladder problem. The pain still unbearable, she returned

to the ER within three hours. `From what we learned,' Terry

said, `there was a blood clot pressing on the bile duct.' She

progressed rapidly downhill from there ending up three-and-a-

half weeks in the ICU (battling sepsis). Six weeks after the

biopsy she died. Terry finished the story. `If only the

insurance had been more flexible, had considered true medical

necessity, in observing my mother the first night after her

procedure, perhaps she would still be with us now.' ''

Terry--Greensburg, 7/19/2009

`` `I haven't had health insurance since '92,' Ed told me,

when I asked him if he had any healthcare stories. `That's

when Bethlehem Steel closed down--so, no insurance, for me.'

I nodded. I can understand. I don't have insurance either. I

don't think Ed really heard me as he continued, `I'm glad I'm

healthy because if not, I'd be dead.' Ed plays quite a bit of

soccer (he's wearing his soccer t-shirt now) and he told me

of an injury he had a few years back. He got hit pretty hard

at a soccer game at the Y. `Got myself a gash on my head and

some sort of shoulder injury.' And so he went to the

emergency room. When he told them he lacked insurance, Ed

told me that the doctor basically said, `Stitch him up and

send him home.' Ed had an angry look on his face. `I got 27

stitches but they did nothing about my shoulder.' I suppose I

could understand his displeasure as with all that he got a

bill for $2,300. `I still haven't paid it, and I never will

be able to,' he said. Despite these distressing stories, Ed

was not really as sour as his tale would make him to be. We

talked about quite a few other topics and he wished me well

on my journey, closing in now, on Washington, DC.'' Ed--

Stoystown, 7/19/2009

``Karl, a volunteer Ambassador at the Flight 93 Memorial,

told me he doesn't believe in a government-run system.

According to him, the free-market is the best though he

acknowledged that having insurance linked to employment was a

problem. `Empower the individual,' Karl explained to me. So

how about your own situation, I asked. `We're not well-to-

do,' he said. `I get my health insurance from the state, a

plan called Special Care which is in between Medicaid and

private insurance.' And how's it going with that? `Very well

actually,' he answered. `It's not connected to employment

status so I have the freedom to change jobs without changing

my health coverage.' [On a side note, Karl, in his

presentation to the thirty some-odd gathered visitors at the

memorial explained how about $40 million more was needed to

complete the permanent Flight 93 Memorial. I recalled how

anti-reform industry groups were spending (as reported by the

Wall Street Journal) about $1.4 million a day in their

selfish and grasping efforts to thwart (or worse manipulate)

healthcare reform. That means that about a month of that

spending (the time it took for me to walk from Chicago to DC)

would cover the remaining cost of the Memorial--a tribute, as

most know, to Americans who gave the last full measure of

sacrifice for their fellow citizens.]'' Karl--Shanksville, 7/

19/2009

``Kay's a part-owner of a small business--all of three

people. Because of the high cost of health insurance, the

deductibles, and all that, 'they've got no discretionary

income,' she told me. They're with Highmark and the premium

went up $100 a month within the past few months alone. Her

husband has had two heart surgeries (done at the Cleveland

Clinic). The cost was $4,000 a day but they ended up paying

$700. `That was a relief,' she said. `But we're lucky. We can

afford healthcare insurance--barely--but that leaves us with

no extra money.' Clearly up-to-date on various health reform

proposals, she added, `It would be nice if I could deduct it

as a tax credit. But here's the real problem,' Kay continued.

`If my husband--or I--couldn't work then we wouldn't be able

to maintain the income to pay for any insurance. How will we

be able to pay for health insurance when we actually need it

most? That's what doesn't make sense.' I was readying to

leave when Kay interrupted. `One more thing. I think much of

these premium monies are being wasted.' How so? I asked. `I

went to a Pirates game and they were giving out free

bobblehead dolls. Guess who sponsored all that?' Who?

`Highmark. That's where health insurance premiums go--to

advertising.' And so my experience came full circle as I

recalled the giant Highmark billboards scattered among

Pittsburgh's downtown when I had been there four days

earlier.'' Kay--Bedford, 7/20/2009

``I met with Eric in Jim's living room (at the home where I

stayed that night). Jim had invited several neighbors to stop

by for a discussion of healthcare reform and Eric was

gracious enough to share his story with me. First, he does

not have health insurance. He looked into it, reviewed the

policies from three companies and saw that there was

essentially no difference among them. `It was 80/20 coverage

and no doctors were covered,' he told me. The premiums

started off at $300 a month and went up to $900 a month

within a year. `Worse than the cable company!' And so he

dropped the coverage. As it turns out, Eric did have a

serious health issue last year--a pituitary adenoma (a form

of benign, but still very dangerous, brain tumor). One

morning he woke up nearly blind--all he could see was a tiny

pin-prick of light (an extreme form of a condition called

`tunnel vision'). He had himself taken to the emergency room.

To make a long story short, he was treated at UPMC. He told

me `Hershey refused to talk because he had no insurance.'

Being without insurance, he now, after all was said and done,

owed $160,000. He was able to make deals with the doctors but

the hospital, he told me, `was never cooperative--a monster

to deal with. And there was no negotiation.' He told me about

his ongoing struggles with the hospital. `And the billing was

so strange,' he added. As someone who checks things out

carefully, he told me how an MRI at UPMC cost $7,000 but the

same scan, on the same machine, cost $2,000 in the nearby

town of Altoona. `And a single Tylenol pill cost $10! It's a

crazy system.' '' Eric--Bedford, 7/20/2009

``Gloria is the owner of Hollinshead grocery. She told me

how the grocery, a family business, has been in Harrisonville

for over a hundred years. Being self-employed, she hasn't had

health coverage for more than twenty years, ever since her

husband's company went out of business. `It's just too

expensive to get insurance being self-employed,' she told me.

Three years ago, her husband had a heart attack and died. She

explained that paying for his care, even in the midst of

grieving, was not easy. `A Harrisburg doctor accepted a

payment plan,' and she also applied for Hill-Burton funds to

pay for testing and other hospital costs. `Things were not

easy,' she added, with a touch of melancholy.'' Gloria--

Harrisonville, 7/21/2009

``Mike, a customer at Hollinshead's Grocery, lost his job

at Caterpillar in February and is now without insurance.

`COBRA was much too expensive,' he said. His unemployment

check was $325 a week and health coverage cost over $400 a

month. His children,

`fortunately,' he told me, are covered through the state

(ACCESS program). He seemed calm as he explained this

predicament. `My wife just got diagnosed with Lyme disease,

though--a tick-bite right here in our back yard.' Eyes perked

up among the others sitting about the grocery. He told me,

`We're paying cash for the lab bill.' It had originally been

$307 but they were able to get it discounted to $187. `The

doctor's bill was $80--and that's just for the diagnosis,' he

added. `For the actual treatment, we're dependin' on free

samples.' '' Mike--Harrisonville, 7/21/2009

``Martin has been out-of-work since last year. `Obviously I

have no insurance,' he said. He has insulin-dependent

diabetes and gets some healthcare through the Pennsylvania

ACCESS card. He explained that, `If I go back to work,

however, I'll lose my medical care.' That's a disincentive to

work, I said. `Sure is . . . I need to stay under twenty

hours a week to get medical care. If I work more, there's no

job, no way I could pay for the healthcare and medicines. I

can't just drop the insulin.' '' Martin--Harrisonville, 7/21/

2009

`` `I would call myself a fiscal conservative,' Jim told me

as we sat together discussing healthcare in his living room.

`I believe that health savings accounts, HSAs, and patient

involvement in the decisions will be important to bring costs

under control.' He added that in his experience, once health

benefits are provided, it's `very difficult to backtrack.'

He's worked in government for 32 years and is currently

retired. `Personally, I think the government plan, if made

available to all, would work well. I think that would be easy

to implement. It allows choice, there's already a mechanism

to collect premiums and there could be some income tiering.'

'' Jim--Bedford, 7/21/2009

`` `I think that it's possible to have a very basic plan as

a public good.' Jo told me she's seen examples of that and

she `believes it's a good use of taxpayer money.' But she

also realizes how it could get out-of-hand. `It all depends

on how and what ``basic'' is defined as,' she said.

`Sometimes that's too abstract.' '' Jo.--Bedford, 7/21/2009

Mr. Speaker, I submit the following stories, collected by Dr. Ogan Gurel.

``Tamara told me, `She was lucky having health insurance.'

Knowing generally that lack of insurance was a problem, she

didn't have any particular personal stories to share. But

when I asked about health reform, she said, simply enough,

that, `More should be done.' '' Tamara--Hagerstown, 7/22/2009

``Patrick has been on and off insurance all his life. `More

off than on,' he further clarified for me. `My credit rating

is trashed because of medical stuff.' And in the 80s he had a

skull injury. `I actually had insurance but not everything

was covered so I just couldn't pay.' He seemed relaxed for

someone for whom the system seemed not to work--forced into

debt, even with insurance, and now suffering the consequence

of ruined credit. But perhaps one gets used to such

predicament.'' Patrick--Hagerstown, 7/22/2009

``Tiffany doesn't have a job, nor does she have health

insurance. As a single mom, her daughter gets assistance

through the state. For herself, she did have to go to the

emergency room one time last year but as she didn't fill out

the form for medical assistance in time (there was a three-

month time limit), she ended up owing $4,000. Now she's being

taken to court by the hospital, Washington County. `I get

phone calls every day from the bill collectors,' she tells

me. `And I'm scared to go back to the doctor for anything

including my frozen shoulder.' With some trepidation, she

told me she knew somebody who was threatened with jail for

not responding to court summons for a medical bill. `It's not

a good situation to be in,' she told me. Despite her unhappy

troubles, Tiffany insisted on smiling when I took her

picture.'' Tiffany--Hagerstown, 7/23/2009

``I met Terry at the Oriole Club, a local bar where I

stopped in during a ferocious thunderstorm to take a water

break. Terry believes in preventative medicine, eating right,

exercising--being positive. She doesn't have insurance and

with two kids, she's busy providing them with a home and

feeding them right. Last year she got very sick but nobody

would take her. Because she has no primary care doctor, it

costs $250 just to get in the door. The others seated along

the bar gave knowing looks. She told me she prayed a lot,

especially when her temperature hit 104. `But I survived,'

she said with a smile. `But, if you don't have insurance,'

she told me, `you're treated different.' '' Terry--

Middletown, 7/23/2009

``Sonny told me the story of a girl in town. Many of the

others seated at the bar recognized her plight. `She's worked

for ten years, without insurance,' Sonny told me. And she got

sick with a gallbladder problem and, `probably because she

couldn't work on account of her illness,' she was laid off.

She needs a gallbladder removal but the doctor keeps putting

her off. `Nobody wants to treat her,' he added. `And she went

to see the specialist but he wanted $300 up front.' Karen,

sitting alongside, squirmed in disapproval. `Everyone's

giving her the run-around . . . And there seems to be no way

out of her situation.' '' Sonny--Middletown, 7/23/2009

``Chris works at the Days Inn in Frederick. He's an

insulin-dependent diabetic (that's his

supplies he's proudly showing me). He has insurance but `it

sucks, only covers so much,' he told me. `They don't cover

even the supplies I have here. And if you go to the hospital

for low blood sugar, or see a specialist, it costs several

hundred dollars.' He was previously under his parent's

coverage but now his own insurance, which `bad as it is,' he

added, has been further downgraded because of the economy.

`But,' he said, `I don't have much choice unless I get

another job, and that's not at all easy these days.' ''

Chris--Frederick, 7/23/2009

``Frank's story centers around his fiancee. She's a breast

cancer survivor. The chemotherapy, according to Frank, `cured

the cancer but devastated her body. She continues to have

health problems,' he told me. These include diabetes and

psoriatic arthritis for which she is treated with

methotrexate and Enbril injections. She had been getting her

medications through PAC (Physicians Assistance Care of

Maryland) but, as Frank explained to me, `Only the diabetes

medicines qualified and those she got through this program

were less effective than what she was previously taking.' Now

that she is working, she is no longer eligible for the

program (which requires an income of less than $1,400 a

month). Her new job offers health insurance but, `the

premiums are so high that if she gets the policy, there'd be

no money for anything else.' Getting health insurance, would

`make it impossible for her to live,' Frank told me. `And,

even with the policy, the medications would be too expensive.

Basically,' Frank summarized for me, `without healthcare, she

has pain and suffering, can't get out of bed and so could

lose the job.' That's terrible, I said. `Oh, it could be

worse I guess,' he replied, shaking his head.'' Frank--

Frederick, 7/23/2009

``I met Howard and Tauyna over breakfast at the Days Inn.

Howard told me that they've generally been OK, but even with

insurance, `deductibles have been increasing and out-of-

pocket expenses also going up.' But Howard wished to share a

story from twenty years ago. `It actually relates to what's

happening today,' he told me. He was between jobs, he

explained, having left a position with health insurance for a

higher-paying job that did not, however, offer health

benefits. Soon after, his wife had a tubal pregnancy and with

the hospital bills he ended up having to taking out a loan

for $8,000 (`a huge chunk of change in those days,' he

added). The doctor forgave his fee and he was able to

negotiate a half-price with the anesthesiologist. `I sure

don't know what would happen if it were today.' '' Howard--

Frederick, 7/24/2009

``Brenda's story is about her father who died two months

ago. She told her story with a mix of disbelief and quiet

anger though she was heartened to be able to share with

others what she felt was a true health insurance horror

story. Her late father had diabetes since 1995. His illness

was complicated by neuropathy and multiple foot infections

resulting in an amputation of one great toe. Earlier this

year, his insurance company, Group Health, told him that they

were dropping him for medical noncompliance although Brenda,

who's a nurse, said this was patently a lie and they had

medical proof, including doctor's attestations, that he was

in compliance. And then he had a stroke, which was compounded

with multiple complications. He came down with sepsis, had to

have another amputation, this time below-the-knee. Though the

MD said everything was OK, the operation was, in fact, a `was

a disaster,' Brenda told me. It turned out he was left

unattended in the hallway, coded in recovery, had a head

bleed, was given CPR, put on a ventilator and admitted to the

ICU. He never regained consciousness. He was taken to a

Palliative Care unit and though he was put on a morphine

drip, he survived for two more tortuous months. All during

this time, people from the hospital kept coming by telling

his already grieving wife that she would be responsible for

the bill. `The total bill is $69,000 and still going up,' she

said.'' Brenda--Gaithersburg, 7/24/2009

``Shayla's been newly enrolled in a PPO. Supposedly better

than an HMO, she had high expectations. `But,' she told me,

`I don't understand why it's so good. First, you pay more,'

she explained, `and second, you still get a bill AFTER the

co-pay.' And then she told me about the prescription plan,

which requires you to mail away for the medications and it

often takes 4 to 6 weeks for delivery. She shook her head.

`That just doesn't make sense!' '' Shayla--Gaithersburg, 7/

25/2009

``Keith is one of the founders of the ubiquitous Food Not

Bombs organization. His organization has protested around the

world and now he's in front of the White House delivering his

message to all those gathered. His story is simple: he's got

fibromyalgia, which he says he acquired after being tortured

by the CIA during one of his several incarcerations for

illegally delivering free food. With his income and this sort

of pre-existing condition, he can never get health

insurance.'' Keith--Washington, 7/26/2009

``Doris, from New York, is here in DC visiting. `No

insurance, can't afford it.' She said, `and doesn't ever go

to a doctor. I'm otherwise lucky,' she said, with a smile and

went off with her friends.'' Doris--Washington, 7/26/2009

Mr. Speaker, I submit the following stories, collected by Dr. Ogan Gurel.

``Martha finds it shameful that America can't provide basic

health care for its citizens, like any other developed

country does. `Civilized nations care for those in need,' she

said. She especially noted that the connection of health care

insurance to employment status was a big problem. `It doesn't

make sense. If you get sick, you have a greater chance of

being unemployed.' '' Martha--Chicago, 6/27/2009

``Addison, on the right, is Martha's older son. He's a

student in college who, with evident pride, told me that in

the past election he had just voted for the first time. As he

embarks on study abroad in Italy this coming fall, he is,

despite his glowing patriotism, embarrassed that health care

for all, as he has learned is the case in Italy, doesn't

exist here in America.'' Addison--Chicago, 6/27/2009

``I met Ron along Martin Luther King Drive. He was working

at painting a fence. He waved his hand towards the south side

streets beyond and said, `Yes, there's many people here

without health insurance.' With a serious look, he turned

back towards me. `Yes, without health care.' He shared a

story of an old lady from the neighborhood. She had a change

in coverage that now made it too expensive to get her insulin

for her diabetes. `It was all very fishy business,' Ron told

me. This lady, on Medicare, was in the hospital for some

time. An insurance salesman came to her hospital bed and

convinced her to change her coverage (Ron couldn't recall the

exact name but he told me it sounded, `Something like Well

Care'). What happened was that this `new' plan didn't cover

the old lady's particular type of insulin so, with her

`brand-new' private supplemental insurance plan in place, she

ended up now spending $129 a month, out-of-pocket, for her

medication. The insurance salesman is gone and now she's

struggling, Ron tells me, on top of her fight to stay well,

to piece together her wrecked insurance and financial

situation.'' Ron--Chicago, 6/27/2009

``Stopping by the Chicago Baptist Institute, I met Rev.

Joseph Felker, the Chairman of that organization. A crowd was

gathered and they were hosting an outdoor event--a `Healthy

Walk' event actually. He told me, `We should have had health

care for the uninsured years ago. It is a travesty, a true

travesty, but hopefully the change we are seeing is a start.'

'' Joseph--Chicago, 6/27/2009

``Sitting next to Rev. Felker was Rev. Dr. Tyler. He

concurred, saying that, `Health care reform is long overdue.

With the wealth

of this country, it's a shame that people don't have health

care.' They, and the others, were all very nice. They passed

me a couple bottles of water and many best wishes (and

prayers) for the journey onward to Washington, DC.''

Clifford--Chicago, 6/27/2009

``Roderick from the hotel told me, `Everyone should have

health care and it should be provided by the government, not

by for-profit companies.' I asked him if he thinks the

current reform proposals are enough. He shook his head, `No.'

'' Roderick--Hammond, 6/28/2009

``As I walked along 25th Avenue (on the way to Gary), I

heard a honk from the road. They stopped, I looked over.

`Hey, Doc--weren't you on TV last night?' And so I headed

over to say hello and get the next story of the day. With

traffic zooming on by, we didn't have much time for chitchat.

But he, Chris was his name, told me, `We need help, it's

rough out here for everybody--not just the elderly. There's

drugs and alcohol problems, no treatment and the price of

medications is too much.' I asked if he could share a

specific example. `Sure,' he replied, while the older

gentleman in the passenger seat with him nodded in

acknowledgement. `My mother's got Alzheimer's and her

medications are $500 to $600 dollars a month. It's impossible

. . .' '' Chris--Hammond, 6/28/2009

``Eric shared his brother's story. He had had an eye

accident, lost his job on account of that and being without

health insurance had to file for bankruptcy. `That about

tells it all,' he said.'' Eric--Wheeler, 6/28/2009

``With parched throat, I stopped into the Indiana

University police station hoping to find a water fountain.

John, the officer-on-duty at the front desk, greeted me.

`It's a critical situation,' he told me. `Especially now that

people are losing jobs. But keeping prices down is important.

Even with the insured, prices are inflated, they're sky-

high.' I nodded in reply. `So, it's hard to stay healthy if

you can't afford health care.' '' John--Gary, 6/28/2009

``Six miles later, now in Hobart, I stopped into United

States Security (a private security service) for some water.

I talked with Ed, the Director. `Definitely things need to

change,' he said. `But it's more like tweaking. I'm 100%

against something like the Canadian system.' I asked what he

thought of the health care reform debate in Washington.

`Well, I don't like the idea of the upper brass fat-cats

reaping rewards. They need to be dissolved or at least held

accountable . . . and take another bottle for the road,' he

added.'' Ed--Hobart, 6/28/2009

``Kyle's story is a bit complicated. He's a senior in

college (at Purdue in Hammond) but he started college a

couple years after graduating from high school. Because of

this unusual transition, it ended up that he had missed the

deadline for getting insurance through his mother's policy.

`I was working to put myself through college with a bunch of

part-time jobs. None of them, though, provided insurance . .

. then I got sick--very sick.' He was bedridden for several

days with fatigue and fever. He finally went to his family

doctor who took a blood test. Two days later, his mother

received an urgent call from the doctor saying, demanding

almost, that Kyle go to the emergency room immediately. Kyle

told me, `it was the highest white blood count he had ever

seen,' and he was concerned Kyle had leukemia. So, at the

behest of the doctor, and actually feeling better by this

time, they went the emergency room. It turned out,

thankfully, not to be leukemia, but Kyle ended up with a

$9,000 emergency room bill (he was never even admitted to the

hospital). `My mother and I spent months fighting and

negotiating,' he told me. `Luckily the Church organization

affiliated with St. Mary's finally--yes, finally--helped take

care of the bill.' Shaking his head in disbelief at the

Kafkaesque ordeal, Kyle concluded, `It was something--and I'm

not talking about the illness--I never, ever want to go

through again.' '' Kyle--Valparaiso, 6/28/2009

``John actually had two stories. First, his wife has

diabetes, lupus, and fibromyalgia and he feels that the drug

companies are just pushing drugs . . . through the doctors.

`The drugs don't work,' he told me. `She doesn't seem to get

better and all that seems to happen is that she gains

weight.' He then shared his second health care story which

happened after his first son was born. The $11,000 dollar

bill forced his family into bankruptcy, again, soon after his

wife gave birth. `It was like the bill was padded but there

was nothing I could do about it.' '' John--Wheeler, 6/28/2009

``Erin's mother (Dianne) has multiple sclerosis but doesn't

qualify for SSI (Social Security disability) or Medicare. Her

medication costs are so high that there's no money left for

anything else. Her symptoms involve significant diplopia

(double vision) and she can't work. Erin shook her head,

`It's a difficult situation and I don't really know what to

do.' '' Erin--Valparaiso, 6/29/2009

``Jack has good insurance. But his story starts with

unexplained pain in both of his feet. He went to dozens of

doctors, podiatrists, and other specialists but nothing

seemed to help except painkillers and these were prescribed

only sparingly. It was a terrible problem and he could barely

walk and was at risk of losing his job. `Then there was this

neurologist who gave me two injections in the back--L4, L5, I

think it was--and that worked!' I nodded, realizing that his

foot pain was clearly related to the back (perhaps spinal

stenosis or a herniated disc) rather than the feet. `But,

guess what, the insurance company wouldn't pay for the one

thing that worked and now I owe $6,000!' I grimaced at the

story. `Oh yes,' he added, `before, several years ago, I

didn't have insurance and I had to declare bankruptcy.' ''

Jack--Wheeler, 6/28/2009

``Michael told me he had no insurance. `Do you get sick?' I

asked. `Well, I try not to,' he answered. `If I must, I go to

these clinics, but the appointments are way off, there are

long waits, and sometimes it's impossible. I mean I can't

miss much work, either . . . And dental is really expensive.

I could have gotten a job that provided insurance but I'd

actually end up making much less.' '' Michael--Wanatah, 6/29/

2009

``A few years back Keith had lost his job at the yogurt

factory in town. This provided health insurance but now as an

owner of a three taxi cab small business, he doesn't have

health insurance. He has significant heart disease and has

had six heart attacks, the first one at age 32. For this he's

gotten seven stents (a device placed in the coronary arteries

that keeps them open). The first two were covered by

insurance but since then he's racked up $56,000 in bills

which he has paid down to $12,000. [Interpretative note: I

know a bit about stents and I was surprised to hear he had so

many. But he did tell me that they continually get blocked up

and he takes Plavix--a form of `blood thinner'--to prevent

further blockage. I didn't ask him but perhaps he has the

less-expensive, bare-metal stents as compared to the much

more expensive drug-eluting stents which are designed to

reduce the possibility of blockage, or restenosis. While only

speculative, I would not be surprised if bare metal stents

were to be preferentially used for patients without

insurance. Unfortunately that might mean less cost per

operation but it typically results in more operations, ending

up in even greater cost.] Keith--Hanna, 6/29/2009

``Ginny lost work and took early retirement at 62 but, she

told me, `The bad thing about that is that there's no health

insurance.' I nodded. `I make too much for the Indiana health

care program, but not enough to pay for medical insurance. It

costs at least $300 a month. I've got diabetes and high blood

pressure and five grandchildren that live with me. My

daughter is legally blind so if something happens to me, I

don't know what will happen, who will care for, the

children.' Perhaps that explains why I look pretty grim in

the picture. I'm inspired, and humbled, by the bravery of

regular, hardworking Americans.'' Ginny--Plymouth, 6/30/2009

``Jay is the manager of the Days Inn in Plymouth. He told

me the story of his uncle (a U.S. citizen by the way) who had

a heart attack and required a triple bypass operation. `He

didn't have insurance, though and the operation would cost

about $118,000.' There was no way that he could pay that

money--the money that would save (or at least extend) his

life. And so he ended up having the operation in India which,

with airfare, cost about $35,000. Jay shook his head. `It

doesn't make sense how America can't take care of Americans.'

'' Jay--Plymouth, 6/30/2009

``Mike's the fiancee of the front desk attendant. He

doesn't have insurance having recently lost his job. `I still

owe a bunch of doctor's bills,' he told me. `I broke my hand

and right now it's better but I owe $12,000.' '' Mike--

Plymouth, 6/30/2009

``Val is 58. She told me, `My husband and I have worked all

our lives, had insurance all our lives and we were both laid

off in November. We're looking for jobs and this is the first

time we've had no health insurance.' She looked at me with

unbelieving eyes. `We're hard-working people, too young for

Medicare. We just don't know what we'll do.' '' Val--

Plymouth, 6/30/2009

`` `I believe government should not be in health care,'

Brian told me, though he added that he'd like to see some

regulatory changes to actually increase competition, ensure

personal responsibility and decrease prices. `The system is

sure not working,' he told me.'' Brian--Etna Green, 7/1/2009

``Gruff but friendly, and with a face that oozed sincerity,

Harold answered, `the insurance--80/20, but my wife is

totally disabled so she's on the Medicaid . . . and I got a

$5,000 deductible! Every year, it just tears me up. We get

good care over there at Lutheran in Ft. Wayne but it's

outrageous. When the doctor gives a regular prescription--not

the generic stuff, and the pharmacist automatically gives you

the generic, makes you sick and then you have to go back to

the doctor to get the right stuff to send to the pharmacist,

that don't make no sense.' I asked Harold if he had any

choice of coverage or if this was the only insurance offered.

`There's no choice,' he told me. Indeed . . .'' Harold--

Warsaw, 7/1/2009

``Scott told me that, `There should be less government

involvement. I really think it should be left in the hands of

the people.' He added that he used to work in the orthopedic

device industry (there are many in Warsaw). `What I feel that

would do, if health care was nationalized, is that it would

undervalue the products they are making. In the end, I think

it would work out as what they would lose in sales, they

would get in volume, but I really feel that the health care

scenario needs to be left to people, not the government.' ''

Scott--Warsaw, 7/1/2009

``Meeting Krystal in front of the Courthouse on Center

Street, I explained my walk, its purpose. Krystal asked how

many pairs of shoes I have and so I showed her the extra pair

strapped in a bag to my backpack and told her of the several

more in the luggage at the hotel. And with that, we began

talking about health care. `Insurance rates are sky

high,' she told me, lamented further that, `like I was

talking with my doctor, you almost have to call the insurance

companies to get the approval for what drugs you can

prescribe--insurance companies are driving the show . . .

they give the discounts or I think they're in the cahoots

with some of the drug companies. They say `Oh, we're having a

special on Lipitor' and so they push Lipitor.' We talked

about the pharmaceutical companies and that drug costs just

seemed to be too high.'' Krystal--Warsaw, 7/1/2009

``Being self-employed, and that business was not so good

this year, Uprendra cannot afford health coverage. He is not

insured, nor is any of the staff. He has diabetes and gets

his insulin, when he can, as free drug samples from his

brother, who is a retired doctor. I was humbled by his

generosity, the complimentary room and the $20 donation, his

wife (and hotel co-operator) Sheila, gave me when I checked

out the following morning.'' Uprendra--Warsaw, 7/1/2009

``Brittany, on the left, told me she has no insurance. She

said, `I think everybody should have insurance. You never

know what will happen. I've been sick and had to pay cash and

it's not cheery.' '' Brittany--Warsaw, 7/1/2009

``Amanda, like Brittany on the left, also has no insurance

and now has `tons of medical bills.' She told me she is

slowly--`very slowly,' she put it--paying for them.''

Amanda--Warsaw, 7/1/2009

``Ed was in the service, in the Philippines during World

War II. He was later an electrician at the Harvard Cyclotron

in Cambridge (on Oxford Street). He has had many medical

problems but hasn't had any difficulties being on Medicare.

Some things are not paid for but by-and-large, he's happy. He

has often thought that universal health care insurance should

be provided by the government and that higher taxes were

likely necessary. `If the government managed its budget

better, there'd be money to pay for it,' he added. He also

said, `People without health care insurance live under

handicapped conditions. With insurance, a wage-earner can be

free to concentrate on his family, his education, and think

more clearly.' He was very happy I met with him and

concluded, `I'm so surprised at the opportunity to talk.' ''

Ed--Warsaw, 7/1/2009

``The most telling story came to us in a Mexican store down

the street. I spoke with one of the counter people, who

wished not to be identified. She told us that she did have

insurance (through her husband) and that she was happy with

the system and that she would not change anything. Then, next

to the register, I noticed a posted sign with a picture of a

young boy in a hospital bed pleading for $100,000 to help

with a kidney transplant. Doesn't that tell it all?'' Warsaw,

7/1/2009

I'm unemployed,' Scott told me, `and don't have no

insurance. But, I've been pretty healthy, 'cept my teeth

here--gotta work on that sometime.' I nodded. `The difficult

story is with my girlfriend. She works part-time and also no

insurance. She makes too much for HIP (Indiana public

assistance program) so that's that. A few months ago, she had

a kidney stone and the local hospital wouldn't take care of

her so they sent her to Indianapolis. The pain was so bad and

she ended up having some operation there.' He said that there

was no way they could pay any of the bills being that they

were barely making ends meet. We drove by the trailer park

that was their home and he told me how they were lucky, that

the next trailer park up in Columbia City had been recently

hit by a tornado and a few homes destroyed. Throughout the

trip Scott was glowingly optimistic. But as he was about to

drop me off, his face turned sour. `Tell those knuckleheads

in Washington to get with it out here.' '' Scott--Columbia

City, 7/2/2009

``Last December Trushar had fallen down in an ice storm,

breaking his left wrist. He was without health insurance and

making do with the pain, waited a week--by this time it had

become considerably swollen--to have it eventually seen by a

family friend, who happened to be a doctor. The family ended

up spending about $500 for various x-rays, the visit to the

doctor was free, but he was told that if it had gotten worse,

the surgery for it would cost about $25,000. If that came to

pass, they decided that Trushar (who is a U.S. citizen) would

go back to India to have the surgery.'' Trushar--Ft. Wayne,

7/2/2009

``Hina's one of the workers at the hotel--doubles up as

back-up front desk and housekeeping. In fact, it seemed like

everyone had a hand in all aspects of the operation. Hina's

had what she called a `muscle lock' in her neck, which

sounded to me like a cervical muscle spasm, perhaps even a

herniated cervical disk--hard to tell. In any case, she's had

no insurance and hasn't seen a doctor or been to a hospital

for it. She remains in pain, housekeeping work is hard, and

this is making it harder. She looks warily around. I know

that this hotel staff is like family, and they likely

wouldn't fire her for a situation that is undoubtedly

compromising her productivity. But in a crueler world (which

is quite common), she'd be out, replaced by someone else

healthier, but also without insurance. Hina, in a way, is

lucky.'' Hina--Ft. Wayne, 7/2/2009

``It was back in 2002 that Bonnie lost her job of 22 years.

At that time, she had been on COBRA though, `it was

incredibly expensive,' she recalled. She has insulin-

dependent diabetes, high blood pressure, and `Charcot

joints.' Her insurance and medications cost $1,500 a month.

`When you don't have insurance you don't have any choices,'

she said.'' Bonnie--Ft. Wayne, 7/3/2009

``Pat shared with me a friend's story. Her daughter,

diagnosed with severe rheumatoid arthritis since the age of

26 had been suffering for many years. A six-week course of

Remicade cost her $7,200 and, as Pat told me, `Her mother has

cashed in her 401K,' to pay for that. `Nothing should cost

$7,200.' '' Pat--Ft. Wayne, 7/3/2009

``Nate's a young and relatively healthy guy. `Last year, in

December, I came down with pneumonia,' he told me. He's a

diabetic and so his illness was complicated by diabetic

ketoacidosis, acute kidney failure, staph infections, and

`cardiac issues.' `I was in the ICU for twelve days,

unconscious for a week,' he told me. Even though he just been

laid off from his job, he told me, 'he was lucky in the

timing of things . . . like a `roll-of-the-dice,' that he

happened to have insurance just when he had gotten deathly

ill. And hopefully he won't get so sick again, since COBRA,

which he cannot now afford, costs $800/month especially with

his pre-existing conditions . . . and especially being

unemployed.'' Nate--Ft. Wayne, 7/3/2009

``Jessica and her husband were laid off from their RV

company (based in Elkhart, Indiana) this past August. They

have four kids under the age of 10. They lost all their

health coverage and cannot afford COBRA which cost $1,200/

month. The kids are now on Medicaid but they, the parents,

are uninsured. `If something happens to them,' she asked,

`how'll the kids be taken care of?' This is Noah and Chris in

the picture also. Today was Noah's birthday too and thanks to

the Ft. Wayne rally, he had a big turnout for his party!''

Jessica--Ft. Wayne, 7/3/2009

``Cameron's a 4th year medical student but on a leave of

absence to pursue a law degree. He's planning for a career in

health advocacy--at the intersection of health and law. As a

student, however, he cannot afford, at $220/month, the health

insurance offered to him. But he's lucky because he gets

coverage through his wife who's a resident. In his medical

school experiences, he's come across many patients who have

foregone medical care because of a lack of health insurance

and this has inspired him to help to solve this problem.''

Cameron--Ft. Wayne, 7/3/2009

``Terri--`an older member of the workforce,' as she put

it--is currently unemployed. She has no health insurance and

with several chronic conditions, chronic sinusitis and

hypertension included, she's `in a difficult situation,'

Terri tells me. Her prescriptions have `ran out' and without

insurance, her doctor won't see her. Even though she asked

about a payment plan, `They told me, they take payment in

full.' Terri's an informed person. 'High blood pressure is a

silent killer,' she adds, and 'I don't want to be silently

killed because I can't get the treatment.' She reminded me

that she's certainly not the only one in such a predicament,

but told me, `I'm just speaking out, because everybody has to

speak. If you don't speak on it, no one would ever know.' ''

Terri--Ft. Wayne, 7/3/2009

``Deb works at the Subway in New Haven, just east of Ft.

Wayne. Her health coverage costs $600/month through her

husband's union plan (he's a carpenter). `If I got the

insurance on my own,' she told me, `it'd cost $850 a month.'

She shook her head and said, `Even though I consider myself

lucky, this is crazy!' '' Deb--New Haven, 7/3/2009

Mr. Speaker, I submit the following stories, collected by Dr. Ogan Gurel.

``Jean doesn't want socialized medicine. But she also adds

that the current system doesn't pay (or reward) for

preventative care. But it wasn't clear to her how either the

free-market or government could change that. `People have to

take responsibility for their health,' she told me.'' Jean--

Van Wert, 7/4/2009

``Todd recently lost his job as a machinist. His wife gets

health coverage as a school teacher but `It's not good

insurance,' he tells me. `The out-of-pocket payments are

ridiculous,' he added. They have two kids--two and four years

old--and he wonders what will happen if they get sick. `It's

a great thing you're doing,' he said, as I shook his hand,

thanking him, too, in return.'' Todd--Van Wert, 7/4/2009

``Mike, in the middle, shared with me his father's

situation. `He's 52 years-old, a retired GM, Delphi employee,

salaried, he was.' Mike looked at me to make sure I

understood. `He was a salaried worker,' he repeated. `Which

means they took away all his health benefits last April.

Wage-earners got to keep their benefits, you know.' I nodded

in acknowledgment. `So, he's too young for Medicare, and now

has a bad, bad situation.' '' Mike--Van Wert, 7/4/2009

``John, on the right, told me `I have good insurance but

premiums have gone up 30% in the last year.' He took me in to

his garage, out from drizzle, to meet his family and friends.

`I'm not happy with the healthcare situation,' he told me.''

John--Van Wert, 7/4/2009

``Serving up a cup of coffee, Holly, at the Rooster coffee

shop, told me she doesn't have health insurance. `I hope

basically not to get sick,' she said with a serious look

beyond her youth. `Pretty much that's it.' '' Holly--Middle

Point, 7/4/2009

``Tara, the cook at the Rooster truck stop near Middle

Point, Ohio, has no insurance. `It's just too much . . .

that's the situation.' '' Tara--Middle Point, 7/4/2009

``Dee told me the story of her uncle. He had a heart attack

a few years back resulting in cardiac surgery and a bill for

$145,000. `Dee, I'm dying,' he said, not clear, as Dee told

me, whether he was referring to his health troubles or the

financial burdens. Dee told her uncle to change his diet, do

yoga, lots of walking, and other things to improve his

lifestyle and health. And so he heeded her advice and

actually, to do these things, went back to India. Returning

some months later, he proudly called Dee telling her that he

was healthier, no longer had diabetes, and no hypertension.

But, he lamented, `I still owe $145,000.' '' Dee--Van Wert,

7/5/2009

``Jim drove out from Ft. Wayne (after hearing the news) and

met up with me near Middle Point on his bike. We walked

together for seven miles talking healthcare and healthcare

reform along with many other topics. He's a Yale grad, which

goes to show that even traditional rivalries can walk

together towards a common goal. He believes in basic care for

all but, as he told me, `the definition of what is basic

becomes problematic. And those that can afford more than the

basic,' he added, `should be able to get it.' '' Jim--Gomer,

7/5/2009

``Nancy is 60, without work and without health insurance.

She has recently moved in with her mother. She has two

prescriptions which cost her $140 a month and works odd jobs

to pay for one of these. She lives one day at a time and

hopes that there'll be healthcare reform, `So people like me

can get the prescriptions we need.' We met on a porch in

Gomer (she was helping to clean up someone's home) where she

brought me some juice. Here she is on the roadside near Lima,

later that afternoon, bringing me a glass of water as she was

driving to her mother's place.'' Nancy--Gomer, 7/5/2009

``Gloria's husband died three years ago. She now has $1,600

a month between Social Security and the Ford pension. `It's a

good plan,' with prescriptions at $2 each, she told me. Her

other story, which bothered her deeply, was about her son. He

had retired after 22 years of distinguished service in the

Navy--the highly stressful submarine service once dueling

daily, in secret, with the Soviet Navy. He had a quadruple

bypass and also an abdominal aneurysm operation. `All that

went well,' she said, `but he had a very tough time getting

reimbursed, especially since his operations left him very

sick and weak.' He had to fight to reimbursed while lying in

bed recovering. `I've seen other veteran's have the same

struggles,' Gloria told me. `And it's a real shame we treat

our heroes this way.' '' Gloria--Lima, 7/5/2009

``Grace, the youngest, hasn't had any healthcare troubles

and is hoping to get insurance as a student when she enrolls

in college. She does believe that some sort of healthcare

reform is necessary.'' Grace--Lima, 7/5/2009

``Kimberly has a brain aneurysm, which, she told me, `they

are watching.' She's also had a falling bladder problem,

which they are not doing surgery on. In terms of insurance,

she's on Medicaid and Medicare but told me, `I can't afford

the medicines'. Otherwise, it's not been a problem.

Everybody,' she added smiling with a serious look, `should

have insurance.' Her effervescent daughter, Tiffany, gave her

mother a hug.'' Kimberly--Lima, 7/5/2009

``Steve, a financial consultant, wants the government out

of healthcare. He believes that health insurance should be

private (and through the employer). `Government messes

everything up,' he tells me. `Actually, I make my living

fixing up government accounting troubles,' he added. But he

does believe that the healthcare system could be much more

efficient.'' Steve--Lima, 7/6/2009

``Brad, the manager at the Lima Holiday Inn, was enormously

helpful and supportive of the Walk. When I met him, he agreed

that it's important to get the story out and told me, `it is

really terrible with all the uninsured. Even if you have

insurance,' he added, `I've seen how difficult it is dealing

with the insurance companies.' '' Brad--Lima, 7/6/2009

``With an angry look on his face, Roger told me very

clearly that does not like the Obama plan at all. But he also

doesn't like corporate interests driving reform. `We do need

some change--it's incredibly expensive,' he told me further,

citing his father's case. He had gotten a pacemaker and

defibrillator and, `Everything cost more than $200,000!' ''

Roger--New Stark, 7/6/2009

``Kara's 19 years old and had most recently been just under

her parent's health coverage. `But after nineteen, they take

you off,' she told me, and she's now in the process of re-

enrolling in her own plan. During this switch, she's actually

without coverage. She sighed, `My current job doesn't pay

enough to afford insurance and then, when I'm in college, two

years from now, I'll have to re-apply.' She's got asthma and

fibromyalgia. It's a real problem, she told me as she's

`really worried' about pre-existing conditions disqualifying

her or making her insurance too expensive.'' Kara--Lima, 7/6/

2009

``Kate's insurance costs her $200/month. She threw her

hands up and exclaimed, `That's a car payment!' She looked me

in the eye and continued. `So, I'm 55 and no business not

having insurance but I can't afford it.' She told me about

her carpal tunnel syndrome, that she had had a mild stroke

and a nagging rotator cuff injury. For the rotator cuff, she

can't afford the MRI. `Actually,' she added, `HCAP, a state

program, can take care of the actual MRI but not the reading.

So,' she said with a sigh, `I can't afford it.' Her husband

doesn't have health insurance either. `He's got two bulging

discs in his spine but can't do anything about it. So he

can't work and spends the day reclining on the couch.' ''

Kate--Lima, 7/6/2009

``Heather (on the right) is 23 and recently divorced. She

had good insurance through the marriage and actually had

significant gastrointestinal problems for which she had four

surgeries. She had a gall bladder operation, colonoscopies,

`they looked down my stomach too,' and also sinus surgery.

She now works two jobs (the one at Applebee's provides

insurance but takes up the entire paycheck). `It's so

strange,' she adds, `I have to get a money order to actually

cover it and send it to the health insurance company

headquarters--$120/month. But I went to the dentist and still

paid $30. But without insurance it cost $40, the dentist told

me.' She looked over at her friend, who nodded in sympathy.

`I don't think insurance makes sense at all.' '' Heather--

Lima, 7/6/2009

``Joe, the flagger at the construction site, believes in

individual responsibility and accountability. `The government

always messes things up,' he said, but he likes the Walk--

`you're doing a good thing,' and concluded by saying, `some

change is definitely needed.' '' Joe--New Stark, 7/7/2009

``I met John, a traveling salesman, at dinner. He's got

coverage, for which he is grateful for. He's been pretty

healthy but feels that `it is important that all people have

health insurance.' '' John--Lima, 7/7/2009

``Reuben actually stopped by the roadside to walk with me.

He told me the story of his nephew, who's an Ob-Gyn doctor in

Maryland. `His entire paycheck nearly all goes to

malpractice insurance,' Reuben told me. `Insurance companies

are trying to get everyone who can pay, even by coercion.' He

told me he thinks it's important to keep the profit mongering

out of the health insurance business. `It's devastating,' he

added. In terms of his own health insurance, as a child he

survived Hodgkin's disease but has recently been diagnosed

non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. `It's a risk factor of childhood

Hodgkin's disease,' I told him. `Yes, I know.' Though his

insurance was `80/20,' as he put it, he did pretty well.

`That's good,' I said as we took a rest by the roadside.''

Reuben--Upper Sandusky, 7/8/2009

``Donna is the director of the Lighthouse homeless shelter

(where I had stayed, while in Bucyrus). It was a nice, clean

place which, as she told me, `helps people when their most in

need. The men here have gotta be clean of drugs, no criminal

history, but they're otherwise down-and-out.' Her husband, 73

years old, is now on Medicare/SSI and had a complicated

cardiac condition. He suffered a heart attack during a cath

procedure and was taken by air ambulance to Columbus. He had

a quadruple bypass and they ended up with $250,000 in medical

bills. Medicare went to 80%. They lost all their retirement

in the stock market and now survive only on Social Security.

They are filing for bankruptcy. `The angel of the poor has,

apparently, become poor herself because of our healthcare

system.' In terms of herself, Donna has no health insurance.

She's got atrial fibrillation (a heart rhythm abnormality) as

well as diabetes and she pays for medicines out-of-pocket.

But, thinking always of those less fortunate than her, she

knows of many people all around who do without their

medications because they can't afford them.'' Donna--Bucyrus,

7/8/2009

``Gary thinks we're way over-prescribed. As he put it, `Too

much medicines and pharmaceutical costs are skyrocketing.'

He's been a retiree for the past eleven years and initially

his health coverage was good. But premiums have steadily

increased over the years so that by now more than two-thirds

of his retirement income goes towards health insurance. I

asked Gary if I could take his picture, to which he replied,

`Sure, why not? They can't punish me anymore.' '' Gary--

Bucyrus, 7/8/2009

``Todd's a forklift operator and has generally been very

healthy. He once had foot surgery but had insurance. He

believes that hospitals gouge people because there's, `No

healthcare system in place, no choice, and so they can

overcharge those who pay, especially if out-of-pocket.' I

observed an interesting story with the cat, a metaphorical

commentary on how our healthcare system treats people. It

turns out the cat is near death with a urinary tract

infection. He could not urinate for days and the vet told

them that the pet, quiet hiding the entire time I was there,

could die any day now. As I got ready to leave, I suddenly

heard some desperate moaning, followed by a piercing yelp. I

turned around to see the cat urinating right on the floor in

front of his food. `Looks like he'll live another day,' said

Todd, standing over the now exhausted cat. Todd looked over

at me and added, `If he wasn't so sick, I'd slap him for

peeing on the floor.' It's tragically ironic that with

people, so many stories play out exactly the opposite: people

get slapped around precisely because they ARE sick.'' Todd--

Bucyrus, 7/8/2009

`` `As a single mom, healthcare has always been a struggle

for me and my children,' Kim tells me. `I have worked many

jobs, as a social worker, in a hospital, and now as a

reporter. These are good jobs but with the pay, healthcare

premiums are just too expensive.' Her daughter has both

bipolar disorder and ADHD and she was on her father's

insurance until January. But as Kim can't her own coverage,

her daughter must do with Medicaid. `Easier said than done,'

Kim said. It took two months for her to get approved and in

the meantime, Kim paid out-of-pocket over $400 for her

daughter's various medications. `It put us in a real

financial hardship with the house payment, utilities, and all

that.' '' Kim--Bucyrus, 7/9/2009

``According to George, `public delivery of health care

sounds like a good but it could go bad.' He added that, `Our

system is way over priced but if you're on a plan, you're

golden.' '' George--Mansfield, 7/9/2009

``This gentleman had Stage IV melanoma with metastases to

the brain. He had extensive treatments and his life was saved

but the biggest problem, he told me, `Was the clerical and

billing side. The paperwork and scheduling was horrible.' He

summarized his very complicated tour through the healthcare

system as follows: `the clinical side was wonderful, the

administrative a disaster.' '' Mansfield, 7/9/2009

``I met Linda at the drugstore during one of my regular

visits for antibiotic ointment. People often wonder why I buy

five or six tubes at a time. She told me she's OK now but

previously had Aetna as her health insurance carrier. `It was

a real problem,' she said, as no providers in her vicinity

were covered: 'There was no choice, I had to go all the way

to Columbus for my care.' '' Mansfield, 7/10/2009

``I stopped at Mr. T's coffee shop on the eastside of

Mansfield. `I have no healthcare,' Richard told me. `My

doctor bills are $60 and they, Medicare, pays $15. We

definitely need some healthcare reform.' '' Richard--

Mansfield, 7/10/2009

``Glendale's a World War II vet (Coast Guard). He tells me

that being in the VA system, he's had no problems with health

care. He had a heart attack six years ago with a quadruple

bypass but, `now,' he said, `I'm doing fine.' He's been

retired for 23 years, gets his medications from the VA and

also receives Medicare and retirement benefits. `I hope they

get that healthcare in this country worked out, there's so

many people without it,' he said. This is a man who fought

for freedom; has his fight been in vain?'' Glendale--

Mansfield, 7/10/2009

``On a hot afternoon, Jane's store, Munchies, was a

godsend. After downing water and ice cream, I asked her if

she had any healthcare stories. She didn't offer any, but did

say, `I hope something gets done for everyone to have some

health care insurance without hardship . . . especially for

our seniors.' '' Jane--Mansfield, 7/10/2009

``On this hot afternoon, along the long road east of

Mifflin, I began getting desperately thirsty. A generous

family answered my knock and I spoke with three generations

of whom the oldest, Clara, told me her story. She described a

situation with Aetna (Medicare supplemental plan) where her

husband had gotten an infection and required a ten-day course

of antibiotics--ten pills. `But Aetna would only authorize

four pills at a time,' she told me. This meant that for each

time, in order to fulfill the full ten-day course, they had

to drive forty minutes. That made three round-trips in total.

Such a `ridiculous expense and hassle,' she said.'' Clara--

Ashland, 7/10/2009

``I had just entered Mifflin, when a woman sitting on her

porch waved and asked, `Are you the doctor in the newspaper?'

She stood up holding the newspaper in her hand as I answered,

yes, and approached the steps to her home. She offered me

water. `That's incredible, I was just reading about you--what

karma.' And we talked about healthcare. `The high deductibles

in health insurance are ridiculous,' she said. `There's a

lack of coverage, and you need to keep changing plans to get

a decent rate.' '' Sharon--Mifflin, 7/10/2009

``Dave has Type I diabetes (insulin-dependent) after

suffering a bout of pancreatitis a few years ago. `Coverage

keeps dropping and the cost keeps going up,' he said.''

Dave--Mifflin, 7/10/2009

``Danelle (pictured here with her two lovely children)

described a situation with her cousin, Barbara. She had a

hysterectomy which turned out to be a very bloody operation

and lasted over four hours. The insurance only allowed a 36-

hour hospital stay and the doctor said that she needed more.

`But,' Danelle told me wistfully, `she was kicked out

anyway.' '' Danelle--Mansfield, 7/10/2009

`` `I've had no insurance most of the last year,' said Ida.

She herself has diabetes and her husband has a spinal

problems. `They were very fortunate,' she told me, because

her husband `got his surgery at the Cleveland Clinic under a

special program.' It had been an extensive operation

involving multiple spinal levels as well as titanium rods

being inserted. `But,' she said, `all medical expenses were

covered.' That's great, I said. `Well, otherwise, healthcare

has been a disaster.' '' Ida--Orrville, 7/11/2009

``I met Kenneth at McDonald's over breakfast. A retiree, he

told me he's been generally pretty healthy. Except for last

year when, `He came down with a serious case of pneumonia.'

How'd that go, I asked. `Not good. I don't feel as strong as

before. And, when I returned home, there was a stack of bills

waiting for me.' Did you have insurance? `Yes. But, the

insurance pays only what they think is necessary. All sorts

of specialists came to see me, and how would I know if it was

necessary or not? I ended up owing $1,800.' He hasn't

declared bankruptcy quite yet but, `I'm getting a lawyer,' he

told me. `And I'm not fully recovered!' '' Kenneth--Canton,

7/12/2009

``I met Andrew and his family at the Dairy Queen in

Minerva. They have a complicated story. First, there are four

members of the family. The youngest daughter who was too shy

to get her picture taken (even with her parents and older

sister holding the camera) is hidden behind the three. So

she's in the picture, but invisible (a parable for the

uninsured). Her story will come soon enough. First, Andrew.

He's a trucker, worked for CR England for four years and

during his employment (when he had health insurance) he had

an operation for a total hip replacement. `I've had this

problem for years,' he told me. `Pain in the hip--both hips

actually--and it became dangerous to use pain-killers for a

long time. So, I was glad to have the operation.' But the

company laid him off ten days after the surgery and he lost

his insurance. The complained for wrongful termination and he

was actually offered a job to return (Andrew knew the company

was at fault) but this new job did not offer any healthcare

insurance. So he had to quit. `My recovery is still slow,'

and with such a complicated surgery, follow-up is necessary.

But Andrew can't afford the $300 fee for any of the

appointments with the surgeon. Now the story of the little

girl. I didn't get her name--let's call her Jane Doe. Her

mother told me, `She's got a terrible problem with her teeth,

the dentist said bacteria is eating at her teeth and it could

go to her brain.' But because the family lost their coverage,

`We've had to cancel the operation.' So, why is Jane Doe

hiding from the camera? Is it because she's a shy four year-

old? Or because she's already old enough to be embarrassed

about her teeth? Or perhaps she's traumatized by the whole

situation, even if she doesn't fully understand it. Or is she

simply invisible much like many of the other uninsured.''

Andrew--Minerva, 7/12/2009

``Joyce shared this story about her ex-husband. He had

recently had an accident at work. This was covered by

Workmen's Compensation. The emergency visit went fine but he

needed two heparin shots in follow-up visits to the doctor.

The doctor wanted $1,000 up-front even though they knew that

Workmen's Comp would cover it (although the receiving the

reimbursement often took months). `They wouldn't give him the

shots without the up-front payment,' and it ended up that his

boss loaned him the money. `See,' Joyce added, `even when you

do have insurance sometimes it doesn't mean nothing.' ''

Joyce--Lisbon, 7/13/2009

``For the past eleven years, Gary has had Type I diabetes

(insulin-dependent diabetes). Up until recently, he has never

had insurance. But thankfully, `the doctors have taken care

of me,' he said. He did tell me about a knee operation that

cost him about $10,000. `But now,' he said, 'his wife has a

job, which comes with insurance, and so I'm covered.' ''

Gary--Lisbon, 7/13/2009

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Dr. Ogan Gurel, M.D., for the Walk for Healthcare, in which he walked from Chicago, Illinois to Washington, D.C., in June and July of 2009.

Dr. Gurel received his M.D. from Columbia University, where he started his career in health care. He has held a variety of jobs in the industry, including positions in medical research, media, and consulting. During his 700-mile, month-long journey, he spoke with ordinary people, many of whom were uninsured and struggling to pay for their health care, about what they thought of health care reform. He collected their stories and took their pictures.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring Dr. Ogan Gurel for the dedication and persistence he demonstrated in his Walk for Healthcare. Regardless of party or position on health care policy, Dr. Gurel's trek of over 700 miles in one month is admirable, and the lives of the people he met along the way will be remembered forever through his monumental effort.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in honor and memory of Van R. Richmond, a giant in the Greater Cleveland Community. Although his name rarely appeared in print, his work as Page 1 editor for the Cleveland Plain Dealer meant that he had a hand in shaping almost every major story affecting residents of Northeast Ohio during his tenure until his retirement in 1994.

Van Richmond grew up in Chicago, Wisconsin and New York before joining the service in 1943. After serving in the Army, Mr. Richmond attended Villanova University and majored in engineering. Ultimately, Mr. Richmond found his true calling and transferred to the University of Iowa to study journalism.

Mr. Richmond put his first marks on the field of journalism at Rockford Register Republic in Rockford, Illinois, where he worked for ten years before taking a job at the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 1960. He worked in several jobs as an editor before rising to become the Page 1 editor. Known to his friends and colleagues as an opinionated, hard working man, Mr. Richmond became a legend in the newsroom. He left a reputation for his quick wit and his dedication to the job.

Mr. Richmond will be loved and remembered by many, especially his widow, Elizabeth; his son and daughter, Jerome and Anne; his stepchildren, Michelle Miller, James Anderson and Kathryn Harttrup; and eight grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor and memory of a man who, through his work, helped the residents of Northeast Ohio learn the events of the world and our place in them. He was a man who was driven not by fame or accolades, but the sense of hard work and a job well done. He will be missed by his friends, colleagues and all who knew him. I wish peace and happiness to his family.

``With respect to the time of adjournment, he may adjourn them to such time as he shall think proper; he shall receive ambassadors and other public ministers; he shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed and shall commission all the officers of the United States.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to an outstanding public servant, Dr. Dean Wyatt. For 18 years, Dr. Wyatt worked as a public health veterinarian with the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service. At great risk to his own career, Dr. Wyatt distinguished himself as an advocate of improved federal oversight of food safety and humane handling rules at regulated slaughter plants. His tragic death from a brain tumor is a terrible loss to the country.

I had the honor of receiving Dr. Wyatt's testimony before the House Oversight Committee's Subcommittee on Domestic Policy in March of last year. He stepped forward to call attention to animal cruelties that he had observed at federally regulated slaughter facilities and to deep- seated problems in USDA's enforcement of the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act.

Even after he was diagnosed with his fatal illness, Dr. Wyatt continued to advocate for reform. His proposal to establish an ombudsman at the agency, which USDA is now implementing, is just one of many ways he has made a lasting impact.

Dr. Wyatt's truth-telling did not make him popular with his agency superiors. Indeed, over the years he endured their disapproval and condemnation. Yet he spoke up: not just for animals but also for fellow inspectors and veterinarians in USDA. He spoke up for all of those who are dedicated to ensuring meaningful compliance with the law, over the resistance of corporate interests and, at times, the agency itself. He remained true to his mission until his death. He will be deeply missed, and his spirit will live on as an inspiration to those whose lives he graced.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of the contributions of television and radio host Larry King. Over the course of his forty-three-year career, Mr. King has brought learning, laughter and inspiration to millions of Americans with his no-nonsense reporting.

Mr. King was not born into fame or fortune. The son of a bar owner and a seamstress, he and his younger brother grew up relying on public assistance after the untimely death of their father. After his graduation from high school, Mr. King's dreams of working as a radio broadcaster took him from New York to Miami, where he found a job performing administrative tasks for a local radio station. Soon he had his own small show, which grew quickly in popularity and opened the door to bigger opportunities. In the following years, Mr. King has published a column for USA Today, hosted his own show on CNN, released a widely read autobiography and appeared in several blockbuster movies including Shrek 2 and Ghostbusters. He has received countless honors, including an Emmy Award, two Peabody Awards and ten Cable ACE Awards.

Mr. King does not present himself as a humanitarian, but he has contributed millions of

dollars to charity through his fundraising efforts and his personal donations. He played a crucial role in securing support for victims after natural disasters devastated New Orleans and Haiti. He established the Larry King Cardiac Foundation in an effort to eradicate the illness that claimed his father's life and seriously threatened his own. Mr. King also sits on the board of the Police Athletic League of New York City, a nonprofit organization serving disadvantaged children and youth, and has established a scholarship program at George Washington University's School of Media and Public Affairs.

Madam Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honoring Larry King for his remarkable contributions to American culture. His life is a testament to the power of hard work and big dreams.

Madam Speaker, I rise in honor and remembrance of Henrietta King, a devoted mother, wife and friend. Henrietta dedicated her life to cultivating potential in others, whether that meant teaching her children to work the family farm or supporting her husband in his extraordinary career.

Henrietta, or ``Henri'' as her loved ones knew her, married future boxing promoter Don King in her thirties. The couple's early years in Cleveland, Ohio were a far cry from the life they would build for themselves in years to come. Henrietta stayed by Don's side through his struggles, helping him to become the promoting sensation that he is today. Friends also knew her for her lighthearted side. She had a penchant for gardening, decorating, and collecting extravagant shoes.

Even in times of prosperity, the couple did not forget those who were less fortunate. They were generous but soft spoken philanthropists, donating, among other things, fire engines to a local fire department and to New York City after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor and remembrance of Mrs. Henrietta King. I offer my condolences to her husband Donald; her children Deborah, Carl, and Eric; her niece Jean King-Battle; her five grandchildren; and her many friends and extended family members. She will always be remembered for her steadfast and nurturing spirit.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H. Res. 1765, a resolution supporting a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and condemning unilateral declarations of a Palestinian state. It is a one-sided resolution that advocates for an approach that would prevent the very two-state solution it advocates.

H. Res. 1765 rightly expresses support for a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As a strong proponent of peace and reconciliation, I believe that true long-term stability and security for Israel depends upon peaceful coexistence with its Palestinian neighbors. Indeed, an imposed solution will not bring either side closer to the security, peace and coexistence that have been elusive for the last sixty-plus years.

This resolution condemns the unilateral actions recently taken by the Palestinian Authority to seek recognition of a Palestinian state within 1967 borders. Yet it mentions nothing of the continued settlement building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem that led to the breakdown in negotiations. While I do not support the actions taken by the Palestinian Authority, their efforts are a direct result of failed negotiations and continued settlement building that threaten the two- state solution.

If we only hold one side accountable, good faith negotiations cannot proceed. A just solution to this conflict requires recognition that negotiations will not be successful as long as the United States allows settlement building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem to continue. We cannot claim to be acting in Israel's best interest while turning a blind eye to actions that actively undermine its security.

Mr. Speaker, I have been to the region. I have spoken to Israelis and Palestinians. Most of them want peace and they have been waiting too long for it. The political process and realities on the ground do not create conditions that are conducive to making peace a reality.

True support of a just, negotiated solution requires us to hold both sides accountable. This resolution fails to do that. I urge my colleagues to oppose this resolution.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 4853, the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010 for one simple reason. It includes an extension of federally- subsidized unemployment compensation benefits for thirteen additional months. The importance of extending unemployment benefits for my constituents back home cannot be overstated: these benefits are a critical lifeline for many in my district, as they are for millions of other Americans and their families. In October, the latest month for which data is available, there were 588,000 individuals in the State of Ohio who relied on this benefit to keep their heads and their families' heads above water. The Department of Labor reports that nearly 8.3 million Americans were receiving unemployment compensation as of early November.

Extending federal support for unemployment benefits is the least that we can do on behalf of the estimated 1.2 million people nationwide whose unemployment insurance either recently expired or will expire as they reach the last weeks of their available benefits. Cutting off unemployment benefits only adds to the shame and humiliation that people feel upon losing gainful employment through no fault of their own. For the residents of Ohio, this cutoff has been especially painful as the unemployment rate in Ohio is currently 9.9 percent. Through 2009, of those who were unemployed in my state, nearly a third had been unemployed for 26 weeks or longer. This is the highest rate of long- term unemployment seen in over 15 years. Ohio's economy was already struggling long before the current recession hit. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Ohio lost approximately 430,000 manufacturing jobs from 1990 through July of 2010.

These staggering job losses have a spillover effect, touching every county and city in Ohio, as foreclosure rates have risen to a devastating level. Each year since 1995, the rate of new foreclosure filings in Ohio has grown, and from 1995 to 2009, the rate quadrupled. In 2009, there were a record 89,053 foreclosure filings--that is one foreclosure filing for every 56 housing units in the State of Ohio. In the City of Cleveland alone, there have been more than 38,000 new foreclosure filings since 2005. Because this crisis spread steadily to more middle-class and high-income suburban areas, non-urban areas now have the highest foreclosure rates in the state.

The ripple effects continue. Ohioans are forced to live with others due to foreclosure. They face communities marked with vacant and abandoned properties. The State of Ohio tells us that there are around 58,000 Ohioans who have exhausted the assistance they were getting from the state or federal government. But there are no official counts of the number of underemployed individuals, who are thankful for what they do have but cannot find opportunity to break the cycle of poverty. It is for these people that I cast a ``yea'' vote on this bill.

The bill contains much more than the unemployment benefits. It provides for a two-year extension of the tax cut provisions passed in 2001 and 2003 for individuals and couples at all income levels and extends the 10 percent, 25 percent, 28 percent, 33 percent and 35 percent marginal tax brackets for two years. It temporarily repeals, for two years, the personal exemption phaseout, ``PEP'', as well as the itemized deduction limitation that taxpayers may claim on their income tax filings. It also continues enhanced child tax credits, and the maximum 15 percent rate on capital gains and dividends for taxpayers in the 25 percent tax bracket and above. It reduces the tax known as the ``marriage penalty'' and it includes a two-year ``patch'' intended to prevent more than 25 million Americans from being subject to the alternative minimum tax, otherwise scheduled to take effect in the next calendar year. It also extends expensing rules for small businesses.

However, I am gravely concerned that the inclusion of a provision to lower the employee portion of the payroll tax by two percentage points for one year threatens to reduce Social Security to a bargaining chip. This provision significantly weakens Social Security's revenue stream and makes it more vulnerable to the calls for cuts and privatization the program has faced for years. Advocates of this provision point out that Americans may use the money that will not be deducted from their paychecks to pay down the crushing level of personal debt that many are struggling with. But the cost to the Social Security trust fund of $112 billion is dangerous because it cuts one-third of Social Security's funding this year alone. Worse, the act of temporarily lowering this contribution--normally an accepted deduction from every working American's paycheck--may become a political issue when time comes for this provision to sunset and the payroll tax to be reinstated. Social Security is a vital lifeline for our nation's seniors, and we tread into perilous waters when we tinker with its funding mechanism.

Mr. Chair, this bill contains many provisions about which I have strong reservations, including the payroll tax ``holiday,'' the gutting of the estate tax, subsidies for ethanol and liquid coal, and the extension of low tax rates for the wealthiest Americans. But this bill contains a crucial provision--an extension of unemployment benefits which are critical for millions of Americans. I cannot in good conscience vote against it.

Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to H. Res. 1540, a resolution supporting the goal of eradicating illicit marijuana cultivation on Federal lands and calling on the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to develop a coordinated strategy to dismantle Mexican drug trafficking organizations and other criminal groups operating on Federal lands. H. Res. 1540 is an unnecessary statement that continues the Bush administration's failed approach to United States drug policy by overemphasizing military and law enforcement as the primary instruments of U.S. drug policy and its focus on marijuana to the exclusion of other more harmful drugs. If the approach recommended in this resolution were enacted, it would require the diversion of valuable resources from an effective policy already in place.

There is no doubt that the problem identified in the resolution, illicit marijuana cultivation on Federal lands, is real and harmful. Mexican drug trafficking organizations' (``DTOs'' ') use of national forests and parks for illicit marijuana cultivation imperils visitors and damages pristine national resources. However, contrary to the implication of the resolution, ONDCP already has a coordinated strategy to address this problem. ONDCP's 2010 National Drug Control Strategy outlines how it has worked on a coordinated effort to combat the DTOs' illegal cultivation via its High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program in conjunction with the Department of Interior, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Guard, the Department of Justice's Drug Enforcement Agency, the Department of Justice's National Drug Intelligence Center, and state and local law enforcement agencies. In some of these initiatives, such as the Domestic Marijuana Eradication and Investigation Project, ONDCP has provided funding through HIDTA for these efforts. ONDCP has also coordinated a strategy to combat the DTO cultivation of marijuana on Native American reservations.

Moreover, while disrupting organized criminal groups is critical to successfully reducing the violent drug trade in Mexico, there are far more cost-effective ways to undermine the efforts of DTOs than combing the vast public territories in the U.S. for marijuana. U.S. counternarcotics policy must be both evidence-

based and cost-effective, especially in the current fiscal environment. The immense public territory on which this cultivation could occur makes aerial surveillance akin to finding a needle in a haystack: it would involve great expense and a militaristic approach to policing vast public lands. Given the practical challenges and enormous resources that would be required to make a sizable dent in eradicating marijuana cultivation on public lands, the policy proposed by H. Res. 1540 is neither evidence-based nor cost-effective. If we are to devote more resources to reducing the supply of illegal drugs in the United States, domestic eradication programs are not the best use of taxpayer dollars.

As the Chair of the Domestic Policy Subcommittee of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, with oversight jurisdiction over the Office of National Drug Control Policy, I have held several hearings in the past year which have established that science and research support focusing our counterdrug dollars on drug treatment and evidence-based drug prevention programs. These hearings have also demonstrated that it is a more effective use of our resources to reduce and prevent the public health consequences of drug use such as HIV transmission and overdose deaths.

As Secretary of State Clinton has acknowledged, reducing U.S. consumption of drugs is one of the most effective ways we can help Mexico combat its drug trade. I urge my colleagues to oppose this resolution.