[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 47 (Wednesday, March 24, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E469]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       RECONCILIATION ACT OF 2010

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. LAURA RICHARDSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Sunday, March 21, 2010

  Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 
4872, the Reconciliation Act of 2010, because this bill is good for 
seniors, good for women, good for small businesses, and good for all 
Americans. Today we have the opportunity to take a historic vote that 
will forever change the face, health, and life of America for the 
better. H.R. 4872 will provide access to affordable, quality health 
care for over 30 million Americans and will reign in the ever-
escalating costs of health care. Today, history will be made and a 
legacy left behind for generations to come. 435 Members who represent 
over 300 million people will be remembered for beginning to fulfill the 
promise all Americans were pledged, the unalienable rights to life, 
liberty and the pursuit of happiness which adequate healthcare 
embodies.
  For the people I represent in the 37th District of California, H.R. 
4872 will improve coverage for 299,000 residents who already have 
insurance. It will give tax credits and other assistance to up to 
146,000 families and 15,100 small businesses to help them afford 
coverage. H.R. 4872 will improve Medicare for 63,000 beneficiaries in 
my district, including closing the donut hole for them. This 
legislation will extend coverage to 92,500 uninsured residents of the 
37th District and will guarantee that 17,500 residents with preexisting 
conditions can obtain the health insurance they need. H.R. 4872 will 
protect 1,100 families from bankruptcy due to unaffordable health care 
costs and will allow 59,000 young adults to obtain coverage on their 
parents' insurance plans. This bill will provide millions of dollars in 
new funding for 11 community health centers in my district. And 
finally, it will reduce the cost of uncompensated care for hospitals 
and other health care providers by $125 million annually.
  H.R. 4872 helps seniors by ensuring that they will not be forced out 
of Medicare, that their doctors will continue to care for Medicare 
patients because of increased payment levels, and that the prescription 
donut hole will be completely closed by 2020. H.R. 4872 helps women by 
eliminating the discriminatory gender rating system, making sure that 
insurance companies do not consider pregnancy grounds for denying 
coverage, and doing away with all preexisting conditions. H.R. 4872 
helps the uninsured by extending coverage to 95% percent of Americans. 
Furthermore, it increases access and choice for all Americans by 
providing $11 billion in new funding for community health centers, of 
which there are 11 in my district alone. Finally, H.R. 4872 helps small 
businesses by eliminating price and benefit discrimination, providing 
tax credits for up to 50 percent of the cost of insuring their 
employees, and giving them greater control over the spiraling costs of 
health care coverage.
  As I participated in countless debates, caucuses, and meetings over 
the past year, I knew that each step we took put us one step closer to 
what Theodore Roosevelt proposed in 1908 over 100 years ago: quality, 
affordable healthcare for all Americans. Our health care system up 
until now has not worked for most people, whether it be the physician 
as provider, the employer as payer, or the patient as recipient.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill provides American families with stability and 
peace of mind. Never again will they have to choose between their 
health and their livelihood. H.R. 4872 provides all American families 
with the possibility of better healthcare.
  It is time for us to move forward. H.R. 4872 is a new direction for 
this great country. I urge my colleagues to be a part of this historic 
heatlh care policy change, and to be part of the days ahead in which we 
will work to further strengthen it.

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