[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 38 (Tuesday, March 16, 2010)]
[House]
[Page H1447]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           HEALTH CARE REFORM

  (Mr. PENCE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PENCE. The Democrat health care bill that is being brought 
through the Congress this week is nothing more than a government 
takeover of health care, and the American people know it. I know the 
administration doesn't like us to use that phrase, but come on. When 
you mandate that every American purchase health insurance whether they 
want it or need it or not, you mandate that every business provide it, 
you create a massive government-run bureaucracy exchange that mandates 
what is in insurance plans, you wrap that all in about $1 trillion 
worth of spending, that is a government takeover of health care.
  But what is really remarkable about this whole business is that not 
only have the American people rejected this plan, but Democrats are so 
desperate to pass it that they are willing to trample on the 
traditional rules of the House and the Senate and even trample on the 
Constitution of the United States to get it done. The Constitution 
provides that a bill becomes a law if it has passed the House of 
Representatives and the Senate. The Democrats actually don't have the 
votes to pass the Senate bill, so they have decided they are going to 
try and pass the bill without a vote.
  Well, that would be news to the Founders of this country and a 
betrayal of the commitment of every Member of this Congress to the 
American people. I urge the Speaker, if you have the votes for the 
Senate bill, bring it to the floor. If you don't, let's scrap the bill 
and start over for the American people.

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