[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 169 (Monday, November 16, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2762-E2763]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE FOR AMERICA ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. ANNA G. ESHOO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Saturday, November 7, 2009

  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today to cast one of the 
most important votes of my congressional career--a vote in support of 
H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act.
  We are on the threshold of history that has been a half-century in 
the making.
  The promise of America as a land of equality and opportunity that 
embraces and cares for all of its citizens is but an empty promise 
without the guarantee of healthcare and the freedom from financial 
devastation resulting from illness.
  For so many of us, this long battle has had a singular, courageous 
champion who has fought like a lion for the sick, the elderly, the left 
behind and the left out. Our great achievement today will also be our 
greatest memorial to our friend, mentor and inspiration, Senator Edward 
Kennedy.
  Like Senator Kennedy, many of us wondered--as the decades marched 
by--whether our efforts for comprehensive healthcare reform would ever 
be successful.
  His unwavering commitment to decent healthcare for all Americans has 
paved the way for the bill before us today. It is on the shoulders of 
this giant that we stand and I pledge my vote as a tribute to the late 
Senator.
  At the heart of this legislation is one simple, indisputable idea: 
Everyone deserves health insurance they can afford.
  Our system is broken. In a nation where health is a daily value and 
where health care is the finest in the world, I hear daily from 
constituents who cannot afford to take care of themselves or their 
families, who are driven out of the system by skyrocketing premiums, 
who live under the threat of a shuttered business or a bankrupted 
household, or who simply have to roll the dice and hope they will get 
better--or not too much worse.
  Perhaps most tragically, our current system turns its back on those 
most in need--those with a pre-existing condition. Health insurance is 
meaningless if it's only available to the healthy.
  H.R. 3926 will cover 96 percent of all Americans.
  It prohibits discrimination based on pre-existing conditions.
  It eliminates lifetime caps--immediately.
  It includes a non-profit public insurance option designed to increase 
competition and lower prices.
  It provides affordability credits to lower-income Americans to help 
them pay for coverage.
  It modernizes and strengthens Medicare, ensuring the program's 
continued solvency and eliminating the prescription ``donut-hole.''

[[Page E2763]]

  And, very importantly, it is budget neutral.
  When I return to my constituents in California, I'll be proud to tell 
them that with this bill: Employer-based health coverage will improve 
for 461,000 men, women and children who live in my District; 84,000 
households in my District will receive affordability credits to help 
them pay for coverage they otherwise couldn't afford; 9,500 of the 
seniors in my District will no longer fall victim to the prescription 
drug ``donut-hole''; 17,100 small businesses in my District will be 
able to obtain affordable healthcare coverage; and that 15,400 small 
businesses will qualify for tax credits that will help reduce their 
health insurance costs.
  I'm also proud that I joined with Senator Kennedy to author H.R. 
3962, to create an FDA pathway for the approval of biosimilar drugs.
  Biotechnology is a complex and emerging field that can harness the 
power to cure cancer, AIDS, and diabetes, and prevent the onset of 
deadly and debilitating diseases such as Alzheimer's, heart disease, 
Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis and arthritis.
  My amendment will save the government $6 billion over the next ten 
years while continuing to foster innovation and new advancements.
  After President Obama signs this bill, millions of Americans who 
today have no health insurance will have it. Patients who are now 
denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition will no longer be 
shut out of the system. Millions more seniors will be able to afford 
their medications, and the average American family will pay less for 
their health coverage.
  Most importantly, we will be keeping our promise to the American 
people that they will have affordable health insurance which they 
cannot lose or have taken away from them if they become ill.
  I look forward to passing this landmark piece of legislation and 
seeing it signed into law by the President.

                          ____________________