[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 109 (Tuesday, September 14, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H7187]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           AN AMERICAN STORY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Washington (Mr. McDermott) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, let me tell you an American story. While 
I will not mention her name, the person is real. The woman is retired 
and she receives about $900 per month in Social Security. That is the 
average amount that a retired American receives.
  So this is more than a story about the one person I know. This is a 
story about millions of people across America. Millions of retired 
Americans receive $900 per month to pay for food, clothing, housing, 
health care and everything else.
  The administration recently professed its intent to address the 
health care crisis in this country. The President said so in his 
acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention. The very next 
morning the administration announced a 17 percent increase in Medicare 
premiums. Seventeen percent is the largest increase in the history of 
Medicare.
  Let me translate the increase into the every day life of an average 
senior citizen like the one I know drawing an average monthly payment. 
Over one-third, 37 percent of senior citizens entire monthly Social 
Security check will go to Medicare in 2006. That is just 2 years away. 
One-third of that $900 is gone.
  Now, if a senior is lucky they might have a family as this woman does 
who can give them some extra money each month. What about those without 
a family? What about the retirees who have seen their loved ones, their 
children struggle this these last 4 years without jobs or health care 
for themselves? After, all over the last 4 years 5 million Americans 
under the age of 65 have lost their health care coverage. Those who 
still have it are under increasing pressure from employers to pay more 
and more of premiums.
  Every labor dispute is over health insurance. Companies like Ford and 
GM bluntly say they can not remain competitive as things stand now. 
These are just the most recent headlines, the tip of the iceberg. The 
crisis gets deeper. Everyone in America today is either struggling with 
health care or knows someone who is.
  Health care is an urgent national crisis, just like the drought we 
just heard about. But we are not treating it that way. If a category 5 
hurricane were bearing down on us in the United States, as one really 
is, we would see bulletins in the media about the dangers to life and 
property. And we would see action by government to protect the citizens 
and get them out of harm's way.
  Well, America's health care crisis is the perfect storm and it is 
already on shore wreaking havoc across this country. The damage to 
lives and property from health care crises is greater than a season of 
the greatest storms, yet we are forcing everyone to go it alone.
  Here is one example. A law passed by the Republican leadership on 
behalf of the President forbids the Federal Government from negotiating 
lower prescription drug prices for American senior citizens. Never mind 
the other 250 million Americans who are getting no relief. When a 
health care plan announces a double digit increase, Americans have a 
choice, either pay or go without. When companies shift more of the 
health care burdens to employees, workers can either pay or go without. 
When half the bankruptcies in America today are from unpaid medical 
expenses democracy is at risk.
  There is something fundamentally wrong in a society when people fail 
because they get sick. When an American gets sick the outcome ought to 
be health care that makes them well, not medical expenses that make 
them insolvent. But that is the way it is. When 37 percent, remember, 
of seniors total Social Security goes to Medicare premiums, when 
seniors spend another hundred or more dollars per month for 
supplemental coverage, when they have not included any cost for 
prescription drugs it begs the obvious.
  How does someone buy food or shoes or pay for housing? Every senior 
citizen listening to me right now knows what I am talking about. When 
medical expenses take at least half of what a senior gets in Social 
Security, it is time to declare a medical emergency in U.S. health care 
coverage. It is time for universal health care.
  As a medical doctor let me immediately vaccinate you from the certain 
administration attack. They will call it socialized medicine. And they 
will try to frighten the be-jesus out of you. That is standard 
procedure for the President and his surrogates. We do not say that 
about police and fire and roads and schools and everything else we do 
collectively. But with health care we say, you are on your own.
  You should be afraid of what they have done over the last 4 years.

                              {time}  2310

  Nothing for you but lots for special interests like big drug 
companies. I think the drug companies deserve to make a profit. I mean, 
they should make something. I also think senior citizens deserve to eat 
every day and not have to choose between medication and food, and I 
think every American has the right to get well without going bankrupt.
  America needs a universal health care system designed, built and 
financed by Americans. We can look at what other Nations have done and 
learn from their mistakes and successes. We can create a universal 
health care system that is of the people, by the people and for the 
people. The President will call it socialized medicine; I call it 
``Made in America.''

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