Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Jackie Hays, a broadcasting legend in Louisville, Kentucky, who has served our community for nearly 22 years. Jackie will retire this Friday, and she will be greatly missed.

Over the course of her career at WAVE-TV, Jackie has done it all: flying in Thunderbirds and Blue Angels, covering more than 25 Kentucky Derbies, and joining Louisvillians for our greatest celebrations and darkest tragedies. But most of all, she has endeared herself to Louisvillians because we always knew how much she cared about us. That's why she was selected 16 times as Louisville's favorite female anchor. She proved her love for our community not just by her on-air professionalism, but also by her enthusiastic involvement in civic and charitable activities.

Jackie once said: God isn't going to ask me one day how many newscasts I did or how many stories I broke, but what kind of person I was.

As Jackie's WAVE-3 career comes to an end, I can say without reservation that she is a person that anyone would hold up as a role model, and we are grateful she has called Louisville home so long. I join everyone in Louisville in wishing her a long and fulfilling retirement.

Mr. Speaker, many in the media and some of our Republican colleagues are trying to raise the specter of 1994 when we are talking about health care reform saying, oh, the Democrats are going to lose control of the House if they pass health care reform just like they lost the House after trying to get HillaryCare through.

Well, there are a few differences between 1994 and 2009. For one, in 1994, 11,000 people weren't losing their health insurance every day, premiums had not nearly tripled in the prior 10 years, we weren't 7 years away from facing bankruptcy in Medicare, more than 700,000 people were not going bankrupt every year because of health care costs, and, finally, nearly 40,000 people every year weren't dying because of a lack of health care coverage.

You know, the people in America have seen what the Republican response for health care is. They saw one move in 12 years of their control, and that was to pass an unfunded prescription drug plan that the Social Security trustees now say may raise the deficit by $1.2 trillion over the next 10 years.

We've seen the Republican solutions. The American people want the Democratic solutions.

Mr. Speaker, in Louisville we are proud of many of the great things our most legendary residents have achieved. From Muhammad Ali's success in and out of the boxing ring to Diane Sawyer's groundbreaking work in journalism to Harlan Sanders' achievements as an entrepreneur, there's evidence of their legacies throughout our community. It's in the stories we tell, it's found in the history embedded in our neighborhoods, and it's seen on the banners hung in their honor throughout town. We are proud that our city has been home to people who have changed the world in the realms of athletics, literature, art, music, business, and, in the case of the man we are celebrating today, law.

Louis D. Brandeis was born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1856, the son of immigrants, and it was to Louisville that he would return throughout his life. It was from the cradle of the burgeoning immigrant communities of 19th-century Louisville that Brandeis began his distinguished career. He excelled first at Louisville's Male High School and then Harvard Law before beginning a successful career as a lawyer and academic. That led, in 1916, to the bench of the United States Supreme Court, when he was nominated by Woodrow Wilson as the first Jewish Justice.

The achievements of Justice Brandeis, however, go far beyond breaking that ground. His legacy as a jurist and litigator has had a long- standing impact, not just in the courtrooms and law books but in the lives of every American citizen. His accomplishments were far-ranging, and their influence resonates today and will do so far into the future.

To those of us who treasure the First Amendment and its protection of free speech, we can thank the work of Louis Brandeis. To those who value the extension of equal rights to all Americans, we can thank Louis Brandeis. The right to privacy, groundbreaking work in the field of labor relations, successful challenges to once powerful corporate monopolies, the list is long and establishes Justice Brandeis' career as one well-deserving of our recognition in this House, a recognition he has not yet received in the 70 years since he retired from the Supreme Court.

The work of Louis Brandeis deserves not just our honor but our attention. Though the battles we fight today may have changed from those of Brandeis' era, his work is rich and relevant for all of us involved in lawmaking. When few others would, Brandeis took on the powerful monopolies that caused economic havoc during the first half of the 20th century. He was continuously skeptical of large banks and their relationship to corporations whose failure could threaten the entire economy, and he helped develop the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 which clamped down on the banking industry's most egregious practices.

In his book, ``Other People's Money: And How the Bankers Use It,'' and in a series of columns, Brandeis warned his contemporaries of the dangers posed by massive financial corporations accumulating resources and using them irresponsibly, lessons that forewarned the economic crisis we faced in this country just last year. As a litigator, educator, philanthropist, and jurist, Louis Brandeis did nothing short of ensuring that the rights we now regard as commonplace would endure. His contributions are those for which the entire country should be grateful, and his legacy is something for which all of us in Louisville can be proud. In fact, his legacy in Louisville lives on at the University of Louisville, where the law school now bears the name of Justice Louis Brandeis.

I join Justice Brandeis' grandson, Frank Gilbert, and the rest of his family in urging my colleagues to support H. Res. 905, recognizing the 70th anniversary of the retirement of this legendary American educator, litigator, and jurist.

Mr. Speaker, our colleagues have asked a question, and many of the American people are asking a question which deserves an answer, and that is: Why should we worry about health care reform? Why don't we focus on jobs? Well, the truth of the matter is that no job strategy can avoid a health insurance reform strategy.

As Ezra Klein pointed out in The Washington Post earlier this week, the history of the last two decades have shown, when health care premiums go up, wages go down. Every dollar that is spent on health care in my district can't be spent to buy a Ford, can't be spent to buy a GE refrigerator, can't be spent to buy a package that UPS will ship.

The unavoidable truth is, if we don't get a handle on health care costs, jobs will never improve the way we need them to. We already know the automobile industry in this country has lost tens of thousands of jobs because of the unaffordable cost of the health care for their employees. No. A successful employment strategy must include a successful health care reform strategy, and that is why it's so critical that we pass that in this Congress.

Madam Speaker, this weekend, my Senator and constituent, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, made a statement on the

floor of the Senate that was, quite honestly, pretty remarkable. It was special, not because it was passionately delivered or because it was well-constructed, but because it so perfectly illuminated just how disconnected from reality the Senate's opponents of health care reform are.

Of the legislation pending in Congress, the minority leader said, ``I am sure there are people in Kentucky who are for it. I have not met one.''

Not one? Needless to say, this Kentuckian, for one, found the statement difficult to swallow, but that's beside the point.

The point is that my senior Senator made the claim despite poll after poll showing that the majority of the American people are for it, including not one but more than 1 million Kentuckians. The minority leader has read the same polls I have. I would venture to say that he has heard from many of the same thousands of Louisvillians from whom I've gotten calls, letters, e-mails, faxes, and visits. Everywhere I go in Louisville--from the VA hospital to community cookouts to the aisles of Kroger--I hear from people with valid perspectives on both sides of the issues, and we were elected to listen to all of them.

Yet my fellow Louisville resident proudly took the floor of the United States Senate this weekend and bragged that he was ignoring his constituents, half of them at least. He denied them as though a desire for reform is some sort of a preexisting condition that entitles him to abdicate his responsibilities to us.

Senator, you don't have to take my word for it, and I won't ask you to go searching through all of your old mail. If you're listening, I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce you to a few of your constituents and mine--yes, your fellow Kentuckians. Then maybe the next time you exert your considerable power to stop something that you know is of vital importance to many of your constituents, you will take time to consider their views as well.

Elizabeth of Louisville wrote, ``I am a single mother with two children. I am offered health insurance through my employer, but due to the high cost of this insurance, I do not always have enough money to go to the doctor when I need to. Health insurance companies have had at least two decades to get it together and fix the system they have in place, but they have chosen not to. Please do not place the citizens of this country at the mercy of some of the wealthiest companies in this country.''

Bobby of Okolona wrote, ``As a veteran and recently unemployed worker, I want to thank you for taking a stand on health care reform. I lost my job and insurance coverage in May of 2008. Do we need health care reform? You bet.''

Mary of Louisville wrote, ``I am asking you to support health care reform. We need a public option plan. My brother is a 59-year-old diabetic, and is unable to get health care coverage. He is excluded from any plan.''

Alvin of East End wrote, ``Please do not let health care reform fail. I am a Registered Nurse. I've worked as a case manager at a local hospital. I have seen private insurance deny patients acute rehab after a stroke; whereas, with Medicare, we could have seen them.''

Elizabeth of the East End wrote, ``I am behind health care reform 100 percent. I am worried about our young adult children and how they can afford it. I have a child who had cancer. I've told her she needs to have a job that provides health insurance when she graduates. The insurance companies need to provide for those who need it most, not just the ones who are healthy.''

Gregg of Louisville wrote, ``Today I received my annual premium increase. My new premium has increased 32 percent. This has followed 18 to 25 percent increases in the last 3 years.''

Andrea of Shively wrote, ``Please vote for the health care bill. I am a heart attack survivor, and I am praying that I can stay with my company to keep my insurance. I will never be able to leave this company now that I have a preexisting condition.''

Sandra of Prospect wrote, ``I am totally behind President Obama's health care reform. I have insurance now, but was not allowed to have it for 4 years due to a preexisting condition. I lived in utter terror the entire time, fearing I would lose my house if I became sick.''

Phyllis of the Highlands wrote, ``I think we need health care for more people. For years, I struggled as a single parent to pay for health insurance for my five children, and it frequently cost me more than 30 percent of my income--in addition to copays.''

Christian of Crescent Hill wrote, ``I know what it is like not to have this basic human right, and I know how much better the quality of my life is now that I do not have to worry about it. I believe that it is shameful that we are the only developed country in the world without a public health system, and I would like to voice my support of the President's plan.

Finally, Matthew G., a 10-year-old boy from Louisville wrote, ``My parents spend $50,000 per year for my brother's autism, and I think it's a national crisis. It's just not fair, and this is a fair country, and everybody, no matter who they are, including my brother, Eric, should be treated equally.''

Senator McConnell, these are your constituents, yours and mine, and they are Americans. They are deserving of your attention and not your scorn. Please come with me to Louisville, and I will introduce you to more of the people who support health care reform for America.

Madam Speaker, despite mountains of evidence to the contrary, our Republican friends persist in saying ``Bah, humbug'' whenever you talk about the stimulus effect. In fact, my constituent, Senator Mitch McConnell, yesterday on the Senate floor called the Recovery Act a failure.

Well, obviously he has been too busy obstructing the work of the Congress to go home and see what's happening in his own community, because he ought to tell the people at GE's Appliance Park that it's a failure when 400 new jobs are coming back from China because of stimulus money; or the hundreds of people who are now working on renovating our interstate system, $30 million worth of work, courtesy of the American Recovery Act; or the 80 people who will be employed at the new maintenance center; or the 150 teachers who are still in the classrooms in Jefferson County Public Schools because of Recovery Act dollars.

Yes, we have plenty of work to do. There are too many people that are out of work, and we are committed to doing that, instead of saying, Bah, humbug, no, no, we won't do anything. That's the message we're getting from the other side, but we will continue to work for the American people.

Madam Speaker, I was unable to cast the recorded votes for rollcalls 896, 897, and 898. Had I been present I would have voted ``yes'' for these measures.

Mr. Speaker, critics of the Affordable Health Care for America Act have said we're not doing enough to control costs. In fact, a great deal of what we have done in this legislation is aimed at reducing costs in the system--not just costs to Medicare and Medicaid, but also to the private system as well.

For instance, one of the things we do is move toward standardized forms, standardized billing forms. One estimate is that this could save the system $30 billion a year. That's just one of the things that we put into motion to try and change the cost structure of health care in this country.

As my colleague from Minnesota mentioned, we're talking about changing the way we pay physicians so that we pay for the quality of care and not the quantity of care. In addition, we move to reduce readmissions to hospitals, because this is one of the greatest factors in high medical care costs.

Time after time in this bill, from comparative effectiveness research to investments in health care information technology, we do things that will bring costs down in health care, and that is our commitment to the American people. We will bring down costs and make health care affordable for every American.

Mr. Speaker, 3 years ago today, the citizens of Louisville, Kentucky, sent me to this body. They sent me here largely to help bring us to this moment.

I was sent by a recent college graduate who had to give up her coverage under her parents' health insurance policy and couldn't get her own coverage to cover her lifelong allergic condition.

I was sent by the family of a 10-year-old little boy who wrote me, begging for help to help pay for the $50,000 they have to pay annually to care for their autistic brother.

I was sent by the Louisville woman whose insurance was dropped in the middle of her cancer treatment.

I was sent by thousands of seniors, struggling to pay their prescription drug costs.

I was sent by people like the local realtor who is trying to figure out right now how to pay his next year's insurance bill he just received with a 32 percent increase.

Today is the day those Americans get the help they have been praying for. It is the day we take a giant step toward that more perfect Union that we all seek. I am very proud to be a part of this historic day, and I am also very proud for the all-too-patient citizens of America who sent me here, along with many of my colleagues, in 2006 to cast votes for the Affordable Health Care for Americans Act.

Madam Speaker, I was unable to cast the recorded vote for rollcall 848. Had I been present I would have voted ``yes'' for this measure.

Bill H.R. 3639, Sutton of Ohio Amendment No. 4, On Agreeing to the Amendment, rollcall No. 848, ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, on the most important issue this Congress will consider, what was so egregious that dozens of my Republican colleagues paraded to the floor yesterday to make passionate speeches in opposition to the Affordable Health Care for America Act? I shall tell you. It was the fact that the word ``shall'' appeared 3,400 times in the bill.

Well, that is an interesting point, but it also reveals a certain amount of amnesia about law writing and civilization. After all, one of our most important and formative laws had the word ``shall'' in every sentence: You shall honor your father and mother. You shall recognize the Sabbath to keep it holy. You shall not covet. You shall not steal. You shall not murder. And most importantly probably for this debate in this House, You shall not bear false witness.

Mr. Speaker, if this is all the Republicans have, I say let's talk about font size or paper color. No, millions of Americans are suffering because of lack of health care. They cannot afford it. Eighteen thousand are dying a year. Almost a million are going bankrupt because of health care costs. We shall give America the health care reform they deserve.

Mr. Speaker, in our efforts to reform our Nation's health care system, it seems like a lot of different solutions have arisen, and now we know what the insurance companies' solution is. It's the 32 percent solution.

You heard my colleague Mr. Courtney talk about one of his constituents. I'd like to read you a little bit of a letter from one of mine--a letter from Gregg Wagner, a Realtor in Louisville:

``Today, I received my annual premium increase. My new premium with Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield increased 32 percent. I have an individual policy with a $2,500 deductible. It is interesting to note that Anthem did not spend one penny on me in the last year. Nothing. This has followed 15-25 percent increases in the last 8 years. This is one of the reasons that 30 percent of Realtors in the United States do not have health insurance.''

Mr. Wagner, the Realtors are not alone. Millions of Americans face this unsustainable health insurance system where, if they can get coverage, it's pricing itself beyond their reach. We need change. We need competition and choice. That's what the Affordable Health Care for America Act does.

Mr. Speaker, Democratic leadership is committed to making any health care reform bill available to the public for at least 72 hours before a floor vote, and I am glad they have because the American people deserve a chance to see what we are doing.

But, there is one group that has made it clear that they don't need 72 hours to decide where they stand on health care, and it is our Republican colleagues. We could give them 72 days, and they would still know that they are going to say ``no'' no matter what is in that bill. They don't need time to read our bill to know they are against giving affordable, quality health care to every American.

The truth is that the Republicans haven't given us one minute to read their bill. You know why? They don't have a bill. It has been 133 days since Republican leadership promised a bill from their side, and all we hear is ``no.'' And now some members of the party, their party, are giving us ideas like privatizing Medicare and increased subsidies to insurance companies.

Mr. Speaker, the American people know it is time for reform, and it is time the Members of this House stand up for them and give the American people the health care they deserve.

Mr. Speaker, our Republican colleagues continue to amaze me with the creativity that they display in finding new ways to say ``no'' to health care reform.

First, a few weeks ago, it was Senator John Ensign who said in the Finance Committee in the Senate, I am against the public option because--get this--it might work; people will like it. He was against it because people will like a public option.

Now, when we find out that the Senate has proposed an opt-out for the States, we are hearing from our opponents who say, well, they won't opt out, they just won't opt out. I wonder why. Probably because it would be effective in providing competition and choice for their constituents, for citizens of America who need affordable, secure health care.

That's what our efforts are for. That's what this bill is about. We need Republicans to stop saying ``no'' and to say ``yes'' to the health care that Americans deserve.

Mr. Speaker, our Republican colleagues continue to find different ways of saying no to the health care reform that the American people so desperately need and want. One of those outrageous ways of saying no is to claim that the government is somehow going to get between doctors and their patients.

Well, America's seniors know that is not the case, because under Medicare, doctor-patient relationships are sacred. Veterans know that is not the case, because the VA knows that doctor-patient relationships are sacred.

But the people of California don't know that. A recent study revealed that 22 percent of the claims made to insurance companies are denied. Now who is getting between the doctor and patient relationship? It is the insurance companies, not the government.

Republicans ought to figure out a way to say yes instead of no. It has been 126 days and counting since the Republican leadership said they were going to advance a plan to reform America's health care. Instead, they still find crazy ways to say no. It is time for them to join us in saying yes.