[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 34 (Thursday, February 26, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H2839]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1015
                PROVIDING MEANINGFUL HEALTH CARE REFORM

  (Mr. TIM MURPHY of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. TIM MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, this week President 
Obama came before us and outlined the priorities for health care 
reform. Good. But let's keep in mind what reform is.
  The high cost of health care is not cured by massive injections of 
money and taxes. We must eliminate the $500 billion in annual waste. 
Electronic medical records will help, but only if it puts critical 
information in doctors' hands and they are personal, private, and 
portable.
  Eliminating hospital-acquired infections must also be a priority. 
Infections kill 100,000 patients a year and cost us $50 billion. In the 
3 years I have come to this floor to ask Members to take action, nearly 
a quarter of a million people have died unnecessarily. How many more 
will have to face this preventible disease before we push for 
meaningful reform?
  Health care reform is about fixing our health care system, not just 
financing it and financing its problems. Let's make health care reform 
real reform, because lives depend on us.

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