[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 15]
[House]
[Page 20773]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    ARE YOU BETTER OFF--HEALTH CARE

  (Mr. RODRIGUEZ asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, President Bush has had only one policy in 
the last 4 years and that is the fiscally irresponsible tax cuts to the 
wealthiest people in this country. Today, an additional 5.2 million 
Americans are uninsured, and the family share of health care premiums 
has risen by over $1,000 in 4 years, a 57 percent increase.
  In addition, prior to George Bush, we had, for the first time in 12 
years, brought down the number of uninsured. Now we find ourselves with 
45 million Americans that are uninsured. Family USA just reported the 
fact that at any given time there are over 80 million Americans without 
access to insurance during a period of their life.
  So we find ourselves in a situation where this administration has 
failed to keep up with the CHIP program, the program that responds to 
the needs of our children that are uninsured, of working Americans that 
are out there paying their taxes, working hard, but finding themselves 
without access to health care.
  This country can do better. We can do better. We have the best health 
care system in the world. Let us do better.

                          ____________________