[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 23, 2010)]
[House]
[Page H731]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           HEALTH CARE REFORM

  (Mr. CASSIDY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. CASSIDY. Mr. Speaker, I am a physician. I still see uninsured 
patients at the public hospital where I've worked for 20 years. Now, to 
give uninsured patients access to private health care, we've got to 
lower costs. But lowering health costs is more than just access; it's 
also about a stronger economy.
  According to the White House Council on Economic Advisers, they had a 
study that explained that lowering health care costs lowers 
unemployment, raises the standard of living, and prevents disastrous 
budgetary consequences. Unfortunately, neither the House nor Senate 
bill lowers costs. The Congressional Budget Office says that each will 
more than double costs over the next decade.
  Yesterday, the President released a new proposal combining the House 
and the Senate bill. But combining two bills that don't lower costs 
results in a third bill which certainly doesn't lower costs. If you 
don't lower costs, access and quality suffer, our economy suffers, 
people lose their jobs.
  The American people--Republicans, Democrats, and Independents--want 
health care reform but they want reform which controls costs in 
reality, not just in rhetoric. They know that their health care, 
economy, and jobs depend upon it.

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