[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 39 (Thursday, March 5, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H2984]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  FIXING THE BROKEN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

  (Mrs. CHRISTENSEN asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Today, the President will convene a health summit 
as he continues to engage experts, Members of Congress, health 
providers and consumer advocates in what is one of many discussions on 
how to best fix our broken health care system and ensure access to 
quality health care for every American more efficiently and 
effectively.
  We have already made a great down payment with the expanded SCHIP, 
the Medicaid and other provisions in the American Recovery and 
Reinvestment Act. We in this body continue to work with our President 
through our omnibus bill; and as we prepare to develop a 2010 budget, 
we do so in a holistic way, also addressing the social determinants of 
our health, which is critical in order for us to meet our obligation to 
close the gaps in health that cause premature preventive illness and 
death in the poor and people of color and those in our rural areas.
  We must remember that health care is a right.

                          ____________________