[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 18395]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              HEALTH CARE

  (Mr. ALTMIRE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. ALTMIRE. Mr. Speaker, while some in the minority party and in the 
Presidential race are trying to recast themselves as agents of change, 
nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the Republicans 
controlled this House for the first 6 years of the Bush administration 
and in the past 2 years they have done little more than obstruct our 
attempts to correct the misguided policies of the past.
  In the past 8 years, the number of Americans living without health 
insurance has increased by more than 7 million. Today nearly one in 
nine children lack health insurance. After retaking control of 
Congress, we tried not once but twice to ensure that 10 million 
children had access to health care through the Children's Health 
Insurance Program, which serves families that are working hard and 
playing by the rules but can't afford health care for their kids. And 
although we were able to pass the bill through Congress, President Bush 
vetoed it twice and Senator McCain recently said that was the right 
decision.
  Mr. Speaker, we must work together to find ways to improve our health 
care system, especially for our children. More of the same just won't 
do.

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