[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 40 (Thursday, March 18, 2010)]
[House]
[Page H1628]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           HEALTH CARE REFORM

  (Mr. INSLEE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. INSLEE. Mr. Speaker, as we head to our health care reform 
decision, I think a story of a fellow I met the other day, a very 
unique American, bears repeating. His name is Gary Hall. He was in my 
office yesterday.
  Gary Hall won five gold medals, three silver medals, and two bronze 
medals in swimming, over three separate Olympics, really an incredible 
achievement. He got his medical insurance through the Olympic Committee 
for 12 years, but after that he wasn't eligible. And guess what 
happened? No one would write him insurance because he has diabetes.
  The insurance companies said, we don't care if you've won gold 
medals, silver medals, and bronze medals, we won't give you insurance.
  Now, that has got to change. We have to pass a health reform bill. 
Whether you've won a gold medal in swimming or you're just an average 
Joe or Jane, you ought to be able to buy insurance, even if you've got 
diabetes.
  We are going to have a bill on the floor shortly that we are going to 
vote on. The vote's going to be transparent. It's going to be recorded. 
Everybody knows what it's going to be. It's going to be constitutional. 
It's going to be just the way we've voted for years. We're going to 
make sure people get health insurance in this country.

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