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




                           HEALTH CARE REFORM

  (Mr. OWENS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. OWENS. Madam Speaker, our middle class families and small 
business owners need fast action if they are to pull themselves out of 
the recession. The health care legislation that passed the House floor 
Sunday evening does just that. Beginning this week, health care reform 
will begin to impact my district in upstate New York. My constituents' 
number one concern is to create jobs. For our small business owners, 
tax credits of up to 35 percent of insurance costs are now available, 
allowing them to free up funds to hire new employees and expand.
  The bill will help our seniors pay for their medication, closing the 
Medicare part D doughnut hole within a decade, and improve the system 
for over 100,000 Medicare beneficiaries in our communities. No longer 
will our neighbors have to worry about losing or being denied quality 
insurance because they get sick. The bill will end rescissions and 
denials based on preexisting conditions. The bill will make our health 
care more efficient, providing new investment in training programs for 
primary care professionals and fund 12 new health care facilities in 
upstate New York. Health care reform will set our college graduates off 
on the right foot, allowing 65,000 young adults in my district to 
obtain coverage through their parents' plan until they are 26.

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