[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 47 (Wednesday, March 24, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H2265-H2266]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           HEALTH CARE REFORM

  (Mr. POLIS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. POLIS. Madam Speaker, I rise today, in celebration of the 
historic passage of health care reform for our country. I am going to 
quote from our Declaration of Independence: All men are created equal, 
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, 
that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That 
to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men.
  Yes, it is the purpose of our government that we the people have set 
up to

[[Page H2266]]

secure the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The 
pursuit of life, the right of living, to be able to live and get the 
right medical care you need shouldn't depend on whether you had cancer 
as a 25-year-old, shouldn't depend on whether you had a stroke when you 
were a kid. These are not somebody's fault; it can happen to anybody. 
And just because of a preexisting condition, you should not be denied 
coverage.
  That is what this bill means for America. Our Founding Fathers would 
be proud today that we stood up for the principle to protect the lives 
of all Americans by ensuring that all Americans can access affordable, 
quality health care.

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