[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 106 (Wednesday, July 15, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7578-S7579]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     AFFORDABLE HEALTH CHOICES ACT

  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, today, I proudly cast my vote to pass 
out of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee 
landmark legislation that will fundamentally change the direction of 
our dysfunctional health care system.
  The committee approval of the Affordable Health Choices Act is truly 
a tremendous victory for millions of Americans who struggle with a 
system that has continually failed to provide quality, affordable 
health care options for them, their families, their loved ones, and 
their businesses.
  It has been a special privilege to temporarily serve on the HELP 
Committee, in particular, with my distinguished senior Senator, Jack 
Reed. I do not think there is a formal rule against it, but it is a 
rarity in the Senate for two Members from the same State of the same 
party to serve on the same committee. My brief tenure on the HELP 
Committee gave me the chance to witness firsthand the resolve and 
caring leadership that is Jack Reed's hallmark and that was shown 
throughout this historic debate.
  I also applaud the unwavering commitment and leadership of President 
Obama, and the tireless efforts of my Senate colleagues, in the pursuit 
of meaningful, comprehensive reform.
  I feel really very privileged to have served with Chairman Dodd and 
Ranking Member Enzi. Chairman Dodd had this responsibility fall upon 
him when illness overtook probably his best friend in the Senate, 
Chairman Kennedy. And he gave me, at least, as a junior Senator, an 
education in Senate chairmanship.
  Ranking Member Enzi presented an unforgettable model of graciousness 
and civility. And all of the members of the committee worked hard and 
sincerely.
  I particularly thank our esteemed chairman, Senator Kennedy, for his 
longstanding leadership and dedication. He truly is the champion of 
health care reform. For decades, Chairman Kennedy has worked 
passionately on this important cause. And while he could not attend the 
markup, we felt his presence daily in the hearing room. And it is to 
his very great credit that we had this success today.
  I am pleased that the final legislation reflects the principles 
outlined by President Obama, who called for a new system to control 
skyrocketing health costs, expand coverage to the tens of millions left 
uninsured in our country, and ensure high quality, affordable health 
care for every American family.
  The bill also focuses on the priorities of Americans, from all 
corners of our country, whose powerful and often heart-wrenching 
stories underscore the urgent need for reform.
  Behind all the statistics and all the numbers and all the projections 
and all the demographics, as we all know in this Chamber, are a legion 
of personal and family tragedies and sorrows and frustrations that we 
have to address.
  The Affordable Health Choices Act invests heavily in the delivery 
system reforms that will drive down costs and bring our current 
outmoded, broken system into the 21st century. These changes are long 
past due and are essential if we are to protect our ship of state from 
the tidal wave of health care costs now bearing down on us.
  This legislation also upholds President Obama's promise: If you like 
the health care you have, you can keep it. But for the many Americans 
who want different choices or who do not have health insurance at all, 
we also offer a new public health insurance option that can and must 
compete in an open market with private insurance.
  As I have traveled throughout Rhode Island, at community dinners and 
senior centers, at coffees and on our main streets, I have heard 
stories of frustration and heartache at our broken health care system. 
Earlier this year, I launched a health care storyboard on my Web site 
where Rhode Islanders can share their experiences and ideas for health 
reform. In just a few short months, hundreds of Rhode Islanders have 
written to share their ideas and experiences. These are just a few of 
them.
  Paul and Marcela from Newport told me about the health complications 
that Paul and his son have endured from type 1 diabetes. The related 
medical conditions Paul has suffered from the diabetes have left him 
unable to work.
  To compensate for the family's loss of income, Marcela works 
tirelessly, taking on a full-time and part-time job to pay the bills. 
Like so many hard-working Americans, they fall just short of income 
eligibility cutoffs for State assistance programs, forcing them to bear 
the brunt of expensive medical cos, premiums, and prescription costs. 
On a stretched budget, balancing their medical expenses is a constant 
challenge, and Paul and Marcela keep hoping they will catch a break 
soon.
  I heard from Ben, a medical student in Providence, who, even at such 
an early stage in his medical career, has witnessed the devastating 
effect of being uninsured on the health and well-being of his patients.
  Ben shared the story of one of his patients who delayed treatment 
because he was unable to afford the medical bills. Only a few days 
later, this patient was rushed to the emergency room with a life-
threatening infection.
  The treatment to save this man's life resulted in much higher costs 
for the patient and the hospital--costs that Ben knows may have easily 
been prevented if the patient was treated when the condition was in its 
early stages. Ben writes:

       It's these day-to-day decisions to postpone treatment that 
     really hurt the uninsured.

  Mike from Riverside shared his experience of surviving cancer that 
was misdiagnosed and left untreated for several years. When he sought a 
second opinion, the final diagnosis was delayed for weeks as his paper 
medical records were shuttled from hospital to hospital.
  On top of this frustration, Mike received the devastating news that 
his leg had to be removed to prevent the cancer from spreading further. 
After his amputation surgery, Mike is thankful to be cancer free, but 
now his financial struggles have begun. With medical bills and health 
care premiums that exceed his monthly mortgage payments, Mike is 
wondering how he will make ends meet.
  I had coffee with Shirley, a Middletown resident who described her 
relief at turning 65. For the past 20 years, she and her husband did 
not have insurance. As self-employed business owners in their fifties, 
finding affordable insurance options was impossible, so they went 
without. They took their chances.
  Now 65 and eligible for Medicare, they finally have peace of mind. 
Shirley admits she and her husband were lucky to make it through those 
20 years without serious health problems. During our meeting, she urged 
us to pass health care reform for the millions of hard-working 
Americans--hard-working, middle-class Americans--who are not as 
fortunate as she and her husband.
  For these Rhode Islanders--and for millions more Americans all over 
the country--there has to be a better way. We have to do better than 47 
million uninsured and millions more teetering on the brink. We have to 
do better than 100,000 people dying each year from avoidable medical 
errors. We have to do better than health care outcomes for Americans 
who are at the bottom of all our industrialized competitors. America 
can do better than this. With this legislation, we believe the process

[[Page S7579]]

has begun for America to do better than this.
  The work accomplished today by the HELP Committee is, of course, a 
first step in a long journey toward restructuring our health care 
system. The path to meaningful reform will not be easy. We have many 
rivers to cross, and our efforts to implement change will still face 
challenges. Certain stakeholders, invested in the status quo, will 
fight back against change; they will drag their feet; they will 
misinform; and they will mobilize--all with the singular purpose of 
defeating our progress toward comprehensive health care reform.
  I know the fight to secure final passage of our reform will be 
contentious, but I welcome a vigorous debate on the Senate floor 
because I also know our current system has reached a state of disrepair 
that is putting us at risk--as patients, as families, as competitive 
businesses, and as a nation. And failing to change the status quo is 
both unsustainable and irresponsible.
  I thank the Presiding Officer, and I yield the floor.

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