[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5117]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               EXPANDED AND IMPROVED MEDICARE FOR ALL ACT

  (Mr. KUCINICH asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KUCINICH. Madam Speaker, today the New York Times reported that 
75 million people went without health insurance in 2001 or 2002. Our 
failing economy and rising health care costs are failing working 
families who make up the majority of uninsured Americans. While costs 
continue to go up, we are not getting what we are paying for. 
Government expenditures has accounted for 60 percent of total U.S. 
health care costs. Our government spends more money per person than 
countries that provide universal health care. Our citizens are so close 
to paying for a universal health care system, but so far from getting 
it.
  The gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) and I have introduced a 
bill to ensure that all Americans have access to a universal high 
standard of medical care. This bill, Medicare for All, would help 
patients get the health care they need. It would help physicians, 
nurses, and other health professionals to get back to practicing 
medicine instead of filling out paperwork. I encourage my colleagues to 
cosponsor H.R. 676, a bill to finally bring universal guaranteed 
quality health care to all Americans.

                          ____________________