[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 56 (Tuesday, May 3, 2005)]
[House]
[Page H2749]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          UNINSURED AMERICANS

  (Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, almost a quarter of 
Texans do not have health insurance, and this is the highest rate of 
uninsured in the United States.
  In Dallas alone, the uninsured rate is 25 percent. We all know 
someone who is living without health insurance. There is a perception 
that if someone does not have health insurance, it is because they do 
not work or they are on public assistance.
  Over 80 percent of the uninsured workers are workers, and 50 percent 
of them are full-time workers. Americans who work hard for a living 
should not have to live without health insurance. These uninsured often 
face the difficult decision of either ignoring their medical problems 
or being able to afford food and rent.
  Mr. Speaker, the sad truth is that no American family is more than 
one job change, one corporate cost cut, or one serious illness or an 
accident away from being uninsured. It is time for this Congress to 
address this problem with innovative ideas and actions.

                          ____________________