[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 47 (Wednesday, March 18, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H3530-H3531]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           HEALTH CARE REFORM

  (Mr. ALTMIRE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. ALTMIRE. Mr. Speaker, with passage of the long-overdue SCHIP 
bill, Congress and the President expanded health care coverage to 4 
million American children who were previously uncovered. This single 
step did more to improve our health care system in one day than we had 
seen in 8 years. But there is still more to be done.
  Every individual, every family, and every business in America 
struggles every day with health care costs. Their inability to afford 
coverage and the increased cost for goods and services as a result of 
health care costs for their business, this issue affects everybody in 
every way.
  But for the first time, the President and Congress plan to consider 
health care reform as part of the budget process so we can accurately 
account for the true costs of doing health care reform and of not doing 
health care reform, which would be the price of inaction.

[[Page H3531]]

  Health care cost increases are on an unsustainable course, and we can 
no longer hide behind budget gimmicks and just pass along the tough 
fiscal decisions for future Congresses. The time has come to act.

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