[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 12040-12046]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Cohen). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of January 18, 2007, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. 
Watson) is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority 
leader.

[[Page 12041]]


  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, this will be the first of a special order 
pinpointing and focusing on the need for universal health care 
insurance.
  There will be speakers today that will point up various areas of 
need. But in opening this hour, I would like to say that over the past 
15 years there has been incremental reforms that have expanded health 
care coverage to limited populations and have crowded out an increasing 
number of Americans from the private insurance market.
  Preventable and mismanaged chronic disease, such as asthma, cancer, 
diabetes and heart disease, are the leading causes of death and 
disability in the United States and account for the vast majority of 
health care spending. They have affected the quality of life for 133 
million Americans and are responsible for 7 out of every 10 deaths in 
the United States, killing more than 1.7 million Americans every year. 
Chronic diseases are also the primary driver of health care costs, 
accounting for more than 75 cents of every dollar we spend on health 
care in this country.
  As reported by the Centers for Disease Control, in 2005, this 
amounted to $1.5 trillion of the trillions spent on health. Despite 
worldwide problems, the issue of chronic disease does not register with 
large segments of the public. As policymakers, we must raise the 
awareness of the health care crisis on this issue of the uninsured and 
underinsured as a primary concern in Congress.
  Now, there is legislation to ensure that all Americans will have 
access guaranteed by law through the highest quality and most cost-
effective health care services, regardless of their employment, income 
or health status.
  The following Members will be speaking on this issue, and I call up 
as the first speaker the young lady from Texas, Representative Sheila 
Jackson-Lee.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. I thank the distinguished gentlelady from 
California for yielding, and let me add my appreciation for the vast 
knowledge that she brings, particularly as it relates to the 
comparisons of our health care, to the international system of health 
care, having been an ambassador and knowing, really, some of the stark 
contrasts between nations that are developing and have a better health 
care system than we have here in the United States.
  I want to add my appreciation as well to Chairman John Conyers, who 
has single-handedly led the cause and the fight for universal access to 
health care, particularly as it relates to the legislation that all of 
us are looking forward to seeing passed, because this is legislation 
that clearly is enormously important.
  So I want to speak today on some issues and share some stories of 
individuals who are suffering in the State of Texas. Maybe those who 
are within the sound of our voices will understand that we do not take 
your plight lightly. We have heard Members come on the floor of the 
House and talk about the spiraling gasoline prices, we have heard them 
talk about the crisis in the housing market.
  I was in my district, and we had an hour-long program, and we really 
couldn't end the program. It was a television program, and all of the 
questions were on the foreclosure market. The producer came out and 
said, they don't want to ask any other questions. They just want to ask 
about the foreclosures.
  People are hurting, and if you juxtapose the high food gasoline 
prices high food prices and your mortgage being foreclosed on, or no 
place to live, can you imagine what it is like? You can imagine, with 
no health insurance, catastrophic conditions, with the backdrop of the 
spiraling unemployment, then I would say that we have a human crisis, 
an American crisis where people are falling on the spear.
  Yesterday, I introduced the Medicare Efficiency and Development of 
Improvement of Care and Services Act, MEDICS Act, of 2008. It is a 
complement to universal access to healthcare. But if we had universal 
access to health care, many of these issues would not have to be, if 
you will, remedied piece by piece.
  Just to give you a very brief overview, the bill that I introduced 
has an elimination of discriminatory copayment rates of Medicare 
outpatient mental health services. It also prohibits and limits certain 
sales and marketing activities under Medicare Advantage, and it has 
exemptions from income and resources for determination of eligibility 
for low-income subsidy.
  One of the key elements is if you are on Medicaid and you die, this 
eliminates the ability of States to collect from your estate, you don't 
have anything. It may be that you are leaving minimal resources to your 
children, and lo and behold, they want to grab that up to pay for the 
long-term care that you needed while you were in the hospital under 
Medicaid, more insult to your dignity.
  So very quickly let me say that I rise to support H.R. 676, the 
United States National Health Insurance Act, that is sponsored and 
introduced by my colleague, Chairman Conyers, of which I am an original 
cosponsor. I would just simply say in the State of Texas when you look 
at HIV and STDs, for example, there are 22,948 total AIDS cases in 
Harris County, this was in 2005. These are people who may have health 
issues we have to address.
  According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, 72.9 
percent of African Americans in Texas are overweight, while 60.3 
percent of the Anglo white population are overweight. That bodes for an 
unfortunate health situation.
  H.R. 676 would cover health care costs and would decrease for both 
families and for businesses. Currently the average family of four 
covered under an employee plan spends $4,225 on health care, $2,713 on 
premiums and $1,522 on medical services.
  I would say to you that under H.R. 676 a family of four making the 
medium income of $56,200 would pay about $2,700 for all health care 
costs, including the current Medicare.
  Is that not a reformation of this system? Is that not a light at the 
end of the tunnel? Businesses would benefit as well. They would pay a 
4.75 percent payroll tax for all health care costs, including the 
current Medicare tax. For an employee making a median annual family 
income of $56,000, the employee would pay about $2,700 per year. That 
is the answer that we are giving tonight and why we are here on floor 
of the House.
  We want you to know, our colleague, that there is relief. We can move 
H.R. 676, which is based on the traditional Medicare model and provide 
health care coverage for a family of four that is drastically different 
from the crisis that they are facing today, because today they are 
facing a crisis such that if they are in any catastrophic illness you 
can be assured that they will have no relief.
  Let me close by sharing with you two very painful stories, and you 
can understand why, might I say to you, there are pages and pages of 
stories of those who are suffering in this dilemma of having to pay for 
all of these expenses and short-changing their families on health care.
  The lack of health care leads to death. Impossibly high gas prices 
can lead you to public transportation, it may lead you to walking. It 
may lead you not to going to places where you have not often gone, but 
you are still alive and might even be healthy. The lack of food may 
mean that you have a little less on the table, and it may mean your 
health, but it actually will not kill you directly.
  Certainly we know that we want better education and our troops home. 
But if you do not have good health care, it can lead to your death. 
Whether it's preventive health care, whether it's mental health 
services, it can actually lead to the death of your loved one. Poor 
health care can lead to the death of your loved one.
  We are speaking of life and death. This story is from Mike. ``I lost 
my job as an RN for advocating for better staffing ratios and patient 
safety.'' That means here is a registered nurse who is trying to fight 
for better quality of health care, got fired. ``With that job loss, I 
lost my medical insurance. On New Year's Day I had an ocular stroke.

[[Page 12042]]

I was having symptoms for a couple of days prior, but without medical 
insurance, decisions are made in a different manner.''

                              {time}  1845

  ``I put off the treatment because I didn't have money to pay. In the 
process I delayed treatment, and now I am blind in that eye. If I had 
insurance, I would have sought treatment sooner. I am a health care 
professional who delayed treatment decisions because of the cost and 
lack of insurance.''
  This person could have died. Now they are blind which limits I 
imagine some of their occupational opportunities. They are blind 
because America allowed them to live without health insurance.
  This is my final testament to the crisis we are in. This is from 
Robin: ``My daughter has a developmental disorder, something in the 
autism spectrum, her pediatrician has guessed. I am not certain of the 
extent of the diagnosis of her disorder due to the lack of my funds, 
being a single mother, and lack of quality health insurance. I can 
scrape together money to take her to the doctor if she has any routine 
sickness, and I push my budget the best I can to pay for 30 minutes of 
private speech therapy a week to complement what the school system 
provides. But there is so much more she needs. She could do so much 
better with medication that could possibly help her lead a decent life. 
If I could afford to get the extensive tests and evaluations, and even 
then, who knows if I could afford the medicine. She cannot qualify for 
SSI or Medicaid; they say I make too much money. That is an outrage. 
She cannot qualify for CHIPs; again, they say I make too much money. 
But I don't. Once I pay for day care, speech therapy, clothing, car 
insurance, food and shelter, transportation, the rising cost of 
gasoline, $38,000 gross without child support is not enough money. Can 
you imagine that they say $38,000 kicks her out of Medicaid and the 
CHIP program, especially when all your daughter can qualify for is a 
super-expensive health insurance risk pool. What can I do? I want the 
American dream, but I cannot have it. I am stuck in this old, falling-
apart apartment with an old car and inadequate health coverage with my 
sweet, 7-year-old daughter. God help us, she deserves better.''
  God help America. America deserves better. This universal access to 
health care is what we all should believe is the American dream.
  I close by simply saying what our Founding Fathers said: We all are 
created equal with certain inalienable rights of life, liberty and the 
pursuit of happiness. I will just simply say that God has to help us 
come to our senses and pass this legislation, H.R. 676, authored by my 
dear friend, John Conyers, and cosponsored by so many of us, otherwise 
God help us.
  I thank the gentlelady for her great leadership on this issue.
  I regard health care as one of the most pressing issues facing this 
country and the world. I have been a staunch supporter of legislation 
that aims to eliminate health disparities in this country, fight the 
HIV/AIDS pandemic, combat the childhood obesity crisis facing this 
Nation, and provide health insurance coverage for all Americans. Most 
of all, I strongly believe that quality healthcare should be affordable 
and accessible to all.
  Yesterday, I introduced the Medicare Efficiency and Development of 
Improvement of Care and Services Act (MEDICS Act) of 2008. For decades, 
Democrats have been fighting to fix the broken America's healthcare 
system and this initiative is an important tool to make sure that our 
most vulnerable get the healthcare they need.
  As a long supporter of Universal Health Care, I happy to announce 
that this legislation puts our healthcare system on the correct path of 
providing access to health care for our Nation's low income, minority 
and elderly populations. On Friday June 6, 2008, my colleague Senator 
Max Baucus introduced a health care reform bill that addresses these 
key problematic issues continuing to plague our health care system. I 
am happy to announce that The MEDICS Act is the companion bill to 
Senator Baucus' legislation, uniting Congress on one accord to push for 
crucial healthcare reform. In 2007, there was an estimated 47 million 
people uninsured in our Nation. This is un-American and unacceptable. 
Now is the time to ensure that every citizen has access to the proper 
health care benefits they need.
  In my house companion I have added a section requiring that within 
one year of enactment the Secretary, in coordination with the 
Association of American Medical Colleges, shall submit to Congress an 
effective plan to increase the number of primary care physicians 
particularly those practicing in counties, cities, or towns 
``underserved'' or with a disproportionate number of Medicare-eligible 
and/or Medicare recipients. Without our primary care physicians, which 
act as the gateway to care we can never move towards an effective 
universal healthcare plan.
  According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, Texas 
HIV/STD Surveillance Report, there were 22,948 total AIDS cases in 
Harris County in 2005; a figure which almost doubled the next closest 
county in Texas.
  According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, 72.9 
percent of African Americans in Texas are overweight or obese while 
60.3 percent of White residents are obese.
  The need for a high-quality, accessible and affordable health care 
system has never been more urgent. There are currently 47 million 
uninsured Americans, 8 million of whom are children. Another 50 million 
are underinsured. Although the U.S. spends twice as much on health care 
per capita as countries with universal coverage, the World Health 
Organization ranks us 37th in overall health system performance.
  This Congress, I am an original cosponsor of H.R. 676, ``The United 
States National Health Insurance Act,'' introduced by my colleague 
Congressman Conyers. This act would allow for every American to receive 
heath Insurance.
  H.R. 676 would create a publicly financed, privately delivered health 
care system that improves and expands the already existing Medicare 
program to all U.S. residents, and all residents living in U.S. 
territories. The goal of the legislation is to ensure that all 
Americans will have access, guaranteed by law, to the highest quality 
and most cost effective health care services regardless of their 
employment, income or health care status. You, the American people 
called for universal health care, as it was one of the most prominent 
issues for Americans in the 2006 elections.
  The need for a high-quality, accessible and affordable health care 
system has never been more urgent. There are currently 47 million 
uninsured Americans, 8 million of whom are children. Another 50 million 
are underinsured. Although the U.S. spends twice as much on health care 
per capita as countries with universal coverage, the World Health 
Organization, ranks us 37th in overall health system performance. Major 
American corporations such as General Motors bear the brunt of an 
outdated health care system because they are at a competitive 
disadvantage relative to their international counterparts who pay less 
for health care. A Harvard study found that almost half of all 
bankruptcies are partially or fully related to health care bills.
  Universal health care would not cause a financial burden on American 
families. According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), ``If 
the U.S. were to shift to a system of universal coverage and a single 
payer, as in Canada, the savings in administrative costs [10 percent of 
health spending] would be more than enough to offset the expense of 
universal coverage.''
  Under H.R. 676, health care costs would decrease for both families 
and for businesses. Currently, the average family of four covered under 
an employee health plan spends a total of $4,225 on health care 
annually--$2,713 on premiums and another $1,522 on medical services, 
drugs and supplies. This figure does not include the additional 1.45 
percent Medicare payroll tax levied on employees. Under H.R. 676, a 
family of four making the median family income of $56,200 per year 
would pay about $2,700 for all health care costs, including the current 
Medicare tax.
  Businesses will also save money under universal health care, as set 
forth by H.R. 676. In 2006, health insurers charged employers an 
average of $11,500 for a health plan for a family of four. On average, 
the employer paid 74 percent of this premium, or $8,510 per year. This 
figure does not include the additional 1.45 percent payroll tax levied 
on employers for Medicare. Under H.R. 676, employers would pay a 4.75 
percent payroll tax for all health care costs, including the current 
Medicare tax. For an employee making the median annual family income of 
$56,200, the employer would pay about $2,700 per year.
  Our plan, H.R. 676, ``The United States National Health Insurance 
Act,'' guarantees every resident of the United States access to a full 
range of medically necessary services, including primary care, 
prescription drugs, mental health care and long term care. There are no 
co-pays or deductibles under this program. The role of the government 
would be limited to collecting revenues and disbursing payments;

[[Page 12043]]

care would continue to be delivered privately. Patients could continue 
to use the same hospital, physician or health clinic from which they 
currently receive services. H.R. 676 is supported by over 210 labor 
unions and more than 100 grassroots groups across the country. The 
former editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, two former 
Surgeons General and 14,000 physicians support national health 
insurance.
  H.R. 676 is based on the traditional Medicare model, in which the 
government negotiates and pays service fees for private and public 
providers and mails its enrollees a card that gives them access to the 
doctors and hospitals of their choice. This system does not divert 
profits to insurance companies. This legislation is focused, first and 
foremost, on serving the American people, not on generating profits for 
big companies.
  Lack of health-care is no longer just a concern of those living in 
poverty. According to recent reports, more than one-third of the nearly 
47 million uninsured Americans coming from households with family 
incomes of $40,000 or more, lack of health insurance has become a worry 
of the middle class.
  There is no reason why this country should continue down a dreadfully 
deleterious road of denying healthcare to any citizen of this country 
who needs it. Many of the health conditions, such as diabetes, obesity, 
kidney failure, cancer, hypertension and HIV/AIDS, the prevalence of 
which plagues our community the most, could be curtailed or even 
prevented if everyone had access to health insurance. I will continue 
to fight hard for the most effective policy measures that aim to narrow 
the racial health disparity gap.
  Ms. WATSON. I thank you, and call on the distinguished gentlewoman 
from California (Ms. Woolsey).
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Thank you, Congresswoman Watson. And I want to thank 
Chairman Conyers for organizing this special order and for his 
leadership on universal health care.
  I am glad to join with my colleague, Diane Watson, and Jan Schakowsky 
is here, and we just heard from Sheila Jackson-Lee, to highlight the 
need for health care for not just some Americans but all Americans.
  Mr. Speaker, more than 47 million Americans are uninsured, an 
increase of 6 million since this administration took office. Nearly 10 
million of those uninsured are children, children under the age of 18. 
It is unforgivable that a country as wealthy as the United States of 
America cannot find a way to provide health insurance to its entire 
population.
  Actually, when there is a will, there is said to be a way. So the 
United States must not have the will to provide health coverage to 
every single American.
  Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program, CHIP, are 
important safety nets for children whose families cannot afford to 
purchase health insurance. However, even with these programs, 10 
million children still lack health insurance. Currently, Healthy 
Families, which is what CHIP is called in the State of California, 
Healthy Families serves 1.2 million children, more than 10,000 children 
in my district. And last year we, the Congress, had the opportunity to 
expand CHIP to provide services to nearly 4 million more children. This 
legislation would have provided health care to an additional 607,000 
children in California, and would have provided CHIP coverage to many 
of the 5,000 children without health insurance in my district.
  Unfortunately, however, the administration recklessly vetoed this 
expansion. Imagine when the United States is spending over $338 million 
a day in Iraq, we can't find $35 million over 5 years. So divide that, 
5 into 35 is 7, so that would be $7 million a year to provide an 
additional 4 million children with health insurance.
  What are these priorities?
  No child should be denied quality care because his or her parent 
cannot afford to purchase health insurance. No parent should have to 
choose between medicine for his or her child and food on the table.
  Mr. Speaker, even if we are able to insure every child, that still 
leaves nearly 40 million Americans without health insurance. We hear 
stories every day about people who lack medical care and whose only 
option is to go to our already overcrowded emergency rooms to seek 
care. Our Nation's health centers, hospitals and emergency rooms are 
doing everything they can to provide medical care to the uninsured and 
underinsured, but they cannot fill the need.
  Actually, when an emergency room is the care center, the underinsured 
and uninsured do not get access to important preventive care and they 
do not get access to screenings to prevent disease or catch and treat 
them early. The shame is that we can detect and treat diseases when 
caught and treated early. So many uninsured, for example, who are 
surviving cancer and other serious diseases could have been treated 
with access to screenings and treatment.
  No one should have to put off important medical screenings like a 
mammogram because she cannot afford the cost and doesn't have the time 
for a wait list for free screenings. If a woman is diagnosed with 
breast cancer, she should not have to choose between food on the table 
or rent. What an awful choice to be asked to make, particularly if you 
have a family to support. No one should be denied necessary medical 
care because they cannot afford it. We must refocus our priorities. We 
must use the money that we are spending on Iraq to invest in our 
Nation's health care system. The 47 million Americans without health 
insurance deserve no less.
  I look forward to working with my colleagues to find the best 
possible solution to address this crisis, and I thank you again, 
Congresswoman Watson, for holding this special order.
  Ms. WATSON. We thank you for your depth of understanding of the 
issue.
  Now I yield to the distinguished gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. 
Schakowsky).
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Thank you, Congresswoman Watson, for organizing this 
and allowing me to participate tonight. I also want to thank our 
colleague, Representative Conyers, for his long-time passionate 
leadership on universal health care. I don't know if he is going to get 
here tonight, but he certainly has been a steady and consistent voice 
for health care and health care reform. Thanks to his efforts and that 
of so many others, I believe we are on the brink of accomplishing this 
long-awaited goal, and that this time we will be successful in 
providing affordable, guaranteed health coverage for all Americans.
  When I first ran for office in 1990 for the State legislature, I 
proclaimed that as my goal in public service, that one day to be able 
to contribute to the victory of allowing all Americans to receive 
health coverage. I have always felt that this richest nation in the 
world, that it is a shame and really an embarrassment that Americans, 
unlike citizens and residents of every other industrialized nation in 
the world, that we don't make health care accessible to all of our 
citizens. It is unacceptable and in many ways un-American. It is not in 
the tradition of our country, which is to take care of each other.
  There are lots of people across the country who are ready to make 
this fight. Another one of the heroes I wanted to highlight tonight is 
my friend and until recently when he retired from active practice my 
physician, my personal physician, Dr. Quentin Young of Chicago. Quentin 
Young was the chairman of medicine at Cook County Hospital. He was the 
president of the American Public Health Association. He is a founder of 
Health and Medicine Policy Research Group in Chicago, and a co-founder 
of the Physicians For a National Health Program. And in each of his 
roles, expanding access to quality health care has been his top 
priority. He is one of the most articulate and passionate and 
consistent long-term spokespeople for single payer health care in our 
country, for providing affordable, comprehensive and quality health 
care for all.
  And as Dr. Young frequently says, ``We feel universal health care is 
no longer the best answer, it is the only answer. There was a time when 
there were alternatives that might have worked, but that day is 
passed.''
  He goes on to say, ``I certainly think it is attainable. It has been 
attained in certain countries that aren't very different from us. I 
totally come down on the side of health care being a human

[[Page 12044]]

right. It is very hard for me to see a coherent let alone a moral or 
decent argument against it because illness doesn't distribute itself 
according to the ability to care for yourself and be cared for. It 
strikes children. It strikes the poor. It strikes the most needy, and 
the most ill-protected disproportionately. That is the correlation.''
  Cardinal Bernardin, also from Chicago, a hero on health care, said it 
best. He said, ``Health care is so important to human life and dignity 
that it is the responsibility of society to offer access to decent 
health care to every person.''
  And I was pleased that he didn't say every citizen. He said every 
person. So the answer is that it should be considered a right 
guaranteed by society, which means it must be a responsibility of 
government.
  And as we enter this new round of discussions, more and more people 
and organizations have come to agree with Dr. Young and John Conyers' 
conclusions. New coalitions have formed, including small and big 
businesses, consumer and labor groups, providers and the faith 
community, and organizations representing people with disabilities and 
living with chronic diseases. The time has come for action.
  In 2002, the Institutes of Medicine estimated that 18,000 people a 
year died because they were uninsured. They were unable to afford 
preventive services, screenings that would have provided early 
warnings, prescription drugs or medical care. Today the Urban Institute 
estimates that annual death from uninsurance are up to 22,000 people 
every year. That is 432 people each week, 60 people each and every day 
who die because the United States of America alone in the 
industrialized world does not guarantee affordable health care to our 
people. It is a horrendous statistic.
  But it is only a partial description of the catastrophes we face. Our 
health care system is becoming completely dysfunctional for patients 
and for those who care for them.
  Even being covered by insurance is no guarantee. The Commonwealth 
Fund has just released a new study that concludes between 2003 and 
1997, the number of uninsured Americans grew by 60 percent. There are 
now 25 million insured people who could face financial catastrophe if 
they become sick or injured.
  Consider this: One in five Americans under the age of 65, many of 
them insured, live with medical debt. I say under 65 because many 
people are waiting for that birthday, can't wait to get there because 
then finally Medicare, a national health insurance for people over 65 
and those with disabilities who qualify, do get health care.

                              {time}  1900

  Medical bills are the leading cause of about half of all personal 
bankruptcies. High deductibles and co-pays, limits on payments, denials 
of needed care, all of these shift burdens to individuals and families 
who are already struggling. These numbers are staggering, and it's a 
national shame that while spending 50 percent more than any other 
country in the world on health care, we fall so dismally short in 
providing a health care guarantee.
  But it's also important to remember that behind each number is a 
person, our friends, our neighbors, our family, our colleagues, 
ourselves; people like the Wells family from Illinois, who accumulated 
over $175,000 in medical expenses while waiting for their employer's 6-
month waiting period for coverage to expire.
  Or Susan, who can't afford the tests her doctor wants her to have to 
deal with her high blood pressure; or Constance, who moved back to 
Illinois to care for a family member and can't find a job that provides 
affordable benefits.
  I want to close by saying that winning the fight for guaranteed 
health care for all is not just the right thing to do, it's the smart 
thing to do. Too many potential entrepreneurs are locked into jobs that 
provide health care, unable to leave and create new businesses that 
keep our economy strong and provide new jobs.
  Too many businesses that are providing coverage for their workers are 
competitively disadvantaged because their foreign competitors operate 
in countries with national health care. They too want us to get it 
together and adopt universal health care.
  So, again, I want to thank Congresswoman Watson and again, I want to 
thank Congressman Conyers for his leadership.
  Ms. WATSON. We would like to thank you, the Honorable Jan Schakowsky, 
for a thorough analysis of what the problem in access to health care 
really is. Thank you.
  The Representative from Kansas, Nancy Boyda, Dr. Representative 
Christian Christensen, Mr. Speaker, you were on our list to make a 
presentation in this hour. Would you like to do it? And I don't know 
what's protocol. Mr. Speaker, Representative Schakowsky will take your 
place temporarily so you can make your presentation if you choose.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. I couldn't have a better substitute.
  Ms. WATSON. I just want to say that Members in this first hour have 
struck a chord with the American people and the needs. And when we talk 
about homeland security, it is not the land, it's the people on the 
land. And I am very disturbed that we're losing too many of our people 
who help defend this land to all kinds of diseases and health problems 
that need not be. With the proper kind of access to health care, we 
wouldn't be seeing so many of our viable citizens perish. We could do 
something about it.
  So we intend, Mr. Speaker, to have a series of these discussions with 
America. And we do hope that maybe we can pull in CNN, Nightline, 
that's ABC, Channel 7, to hold a periodic series of these discussions 
about access to health care.
  We do hope that you're able to make your presentation at this time, 
Mr. Speaker.
  All right. I understand that you won't be speaking at this time, so 
let me--how much time do we have left on this hour?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Thirty minutes.
  Ms. WATSON. I would just like to read some of the 51 stories of 
Americans with cancer who suddenly find themselves overburdened with 
medical bills, and they have gaps in their coverage. These are real 
people, Mr. Speaker. These are real Americans who are calling out to 
us.
  As you know, we've had two very fine proposals coming from Senator 
Hillary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama that would address access to 
health care.
  Over on our side, in our House, we have the valiant efforts over the 
years of Congressman John Conyers, Jr. He would have been here today, 
but there was a conflict. But he will continue the drum beat and the 
call for us to get down to business so we can have accessible health 
care.
  I'd like to take some time to read you the plight of real Americans. 
This one is Susan M. She said, ``My husband, Tom, was diagnosed with 
lymphoma in 1996, just 4 months after our daughter was born. He 
underwent three series of chemotherapy before dying of encephalitis in 
2001. At that time the entire family was insured through his employer.
  ``The monthly premiums went to $900 per month, and since I had left 
my job to care for him, I didn't have many options. I was able to get 
the kids covered by Medicaid, and I signed up for Ingram Health, which 
only covers doctors visits and prescriptions, not hospitalization or 
long-term treatment. This carried us along until a mammogram showed I 
had breast cancer in 2006, then I was put in to the breast and cervical 
cancer program. I received excellent care and am currently cancer-free.
  ``Earlier this year I took a contract position for 6 months at 20 to 
30 hours per week. Working again helped my attitude tremendously. The 
depression I had struggled with for 10 years started to lift, and I was 
feeling positive about my future prospects.
  ``But, of course, the extra income meant that my kids were no longer 
eligible for Medicaid. So I had the added stress of finding insurance 
for them. I was afraid that my eligibility in the

[[Page 12045]]

breast and cervical cancer program was also in jeopardy, so I never 
told my case manager about working.
  ``Now, the contract has run out and I'm looking for work again. I'm 
afraid that my coverage under the breast and cancer program will end 
before I can get a job with benefits. And the bill for the children's 
insurance will be due in a few weeks. And I worry about what impact a 
pre-existing condition will have on my job prospects.
  ``It doesn't seem fair that my health should be tied so punitively to 
a job. It just adds to the emotional stress, which is already too high.
  ``Thank you for reading and thank you for caring.''
  That was from Susan M.
  Jennifer G says, ``My mother suffered and died with ovarian cancer. 
It was terrible. And as with many ovarian cancers, hers was not 
detected until it was way too late for successful treatment.
  I am 36 years old now. My husband and I are finished having children. 
My doctor recommended that I have a hysterectomy because my risk of 
getting ovarian cancer is much higher now.
  I am lucky enough to have health insurance. Unfortunately, an 
accountant working for the insurance company is able to override what 
my doctor recommends because they don't want to pay for it. They would 
rather take the gamble that I may or may not get the cancer. I, of 
course, would rather not gamble with my life.
  ``I am all for everyone having health insurance and having access to 
whatever health care they need. However, being covered by health 
insurance does not guarantee that you will get the treatment you need 
or any treatment that your doctor might recommend.
  ``It is not enough to demand coverage for all people. Insurance 
companies would still have the power to say no any time they want to 
save some money.
  ``And I don't have the solutions. I can just recommend that this is a 
problem on two levels. Getting some kind of universal health care 
coverage will just be the first step. Getting insurance companies to 
cooperate with doctors decisions will be the next step. This is where 
much of the reform will need to happen.
  ``Plus, I know several people who are fighting cancer and recovering 
from cancer. All of them have health insurance. Most of them are being 
denied coverage for medicine to fight their cancer. It is pathetic to 
have health insurance and not be able to count on it to help you when 
you need it the most.''
  And Mr. Speaker, just this morning, I was called to be told that one 
of our dear friends and PR persons died of cancer at 2 a.m. this 
morning. Her name was Pat Tobin. She came from Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania, to Los Angeles a couple of decades ago. She has a 
daughter, a sister.
  And we went to her bedside on Friday, and I could see at that point 
that she possibly would not make it through the night. But she did. She 
made it until 2:00 a.m. this morning.
  And I tell about that particular account because if we could set 
priorities in this country to cover the health needs of all Americans, 
rather than pour billions of dollars into a conflict 10,000 miles away, 
that I see never ending, and I see us involving ourselves in sectorial 
problems that we don't even understand. We don't even understand the 
language the people speak. How in the world could we understand their 
customs and their conflicts with each other?
  If we could take that money out of the gopher hole it's in and put it 
into research in this country to stop this deadly epidemic of cancer 
throughout our land, wouldn't this make our country stronger?
  We're losing 4,000, we have lost 4,090 people, and countless innocent 
Iraqis and others. I hear it could be as much as 300,000.
  But no, we stupidly, stupidly and incorrectly continue to dump 
monies, and we don't even take care of our own domestic priorities.
  We argued over health care for children? Every child in this country, 
whether that child is here with legal papers or not, not only deserves 
an education, but deserves health care. What kind of country are we 
that let its own people die because insurance companies are saying oh, 
no, that's too much?
  And we never see their actuarial data, by the way, Mr. Speaker. That 
actuarial data could go into investments that fail. We don't know it. 
They just up the premium.
  And when you have a catastrophic illness or a long-term illness, it 
could bankrupt you. Look at Ed McMahon, Tonight Show host, along with 
Johnny Carson, for decades. And now he's on CNN on the Larry King Show, 
talking about his broken neck and his injuries, and now his Malibu home 
is in foreclosure.

                              {time}  1915

  That's an American of prominence who was worth at one time $100 
million. But a catastrophic illness could run you into bankruptcy. And 
that story is told many, many times.
  I will not take the time now, Mr. Speaker, but these are actual 
people with actual stories. And we are the policymakers, and we're 
going to continue to tell their stories night after night until we, as 
a body, until we, as the Congress, can come together and set our 
priorities on what is really necessary to keep America strong. And it 
might take a new administration.
  So we're going to lay the groundwork for the next President and 
Commander in Chief of these United States to choose prosperity, to 
choose health care, to choose education, to choose social services over 
profiteering by your best buddies in the oil industry. You can read 
between those lines. And we hope that the next President of the United 
States will set, as its higher goal, to keep America healthy and be 
sure that every single American and persons here can get that kind of 
health care. So together we can conquer.
  We should not lose another person to cancer. We should not in this 
country because we should have done the kind of in-depth research and 
tests so that we could come up with various prescriptions and remedies 
to save the lives of so many worthy people.
  Thank you so much, Mr. Speaker, for this time. We will be back again 
another night.
  Mr. COHEN. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
  It is indeed an honor to join with the previous speakers and you, 
Madam Speaker, to speak on this subject that you and Chairman Conyers 
and others have brought to this fight.
  It has been a long fight. Chairman Conyers and Mr. Dingell and Mr. 
Dingell's father I think have had sponsorship of issues such as this 
since the 1940s, 60-some-odd years of efforts and introduction of 
legislation and debate and discussion, but no bill yet. But we've come 
a long way. We've come a long way since the 1940s.
  Madam Speaker talked about the individuals who suffer from cancer and 
should not have lost their lives because we didn't have adequate 
research. I have penned a letter to the Speaker and to Chairman Obey, 
who I know are concerned about this issue, asking that we increase NIH 
funding in the President's 2009 budget for research on cancer, 
diabetes, heart disease, AIDS, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's disease so 
that we double the amount that we had in the budget as requested by 
Congress.
  In the President's fiscal year 2009 budget, the request for research 
at the National Institute of Health for cancer, diabetes, heart 
disease, HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's, this could be doubled, 
and only a day or so's worth of money that we use for our war efforts 
would have to be transferred to make this available.
  You know, I think about what the Speaker was talking about, the loss 
of lives, and I had to think about Senator Kennedy. Not that one life 
is greater than another life. But Senator Kennedy is a colleague who 
has been in this hall and is fighting cancer. We hope he will have a 
successful fight. But when we see him struck with cancer, and others--
and we know there are people dying every day of cancer--it just seems 
to me that it's a shame that

[[Page 12046]]

we don't put more and more money into saving lives and we don't use the 
great wealth of this Nation, the intelligence of this Nation, the great 
scientific powers of this country to invest in medical research in 
saving lives rather than weapons of mass destruction often brought to 
us by people who benefit from them and have brought the military 
industrial complex that President Eisenhower warned us about, even 
President Nixon had concerns about; and that helped take us from 9/11 
into an escalating budget expense of military weapons that caused this 
country's budget to be spent so much and its great talent and abilities 
in a scientific way to be used on weapons of mass destruction and other 
arms of the military industrial complex rather than science and 
research to save lives and save humanity.
  Who knows which person, which young person or older person, could do 
something to save other people's lives let alone give love and hope to 
families?
  And so with national health care insurance, we could cover people, we 
could save lives because if we had insurance for the people, you could 
scope out illnesses earlier whether you're wealthy or poor. You would 
have the same opportunity to have preventative care, early treatment, 
and diagnosis of illnesses that can cause loss of life. And that early 
detection can save lives.
  Right now if you're poor, you don't have the opportunity to have that 
early detection and your life is taken. And that's an inequity that 
this country should not allow to continue and shouldn't have permitted 
for all of these years.
  There are so many accomplishments that we have seen in this country, 
particularly in this year. We've seen our Nation become a more perfect 
union in so many ways. But the fundamental right to health care is one 
that we have not recognized yet and we must.
  We're all here because of the grace of God, and it seems like we 
should all have the--at our access and at our disposal what God's 
creatures have been able to discover, refine, produce, in the way of 
medical care to keep people alive. That just seems like a minimum 
thing.
  And this country is the only great industrialized country on the face 
of the earth without some national health care policy. It seems like in 
this area, we are not the first in the Nation, in the world, but we're 
last in the world. And that's terrible.
  There are doctors that serve in this body, and they're to be admired 
for giving their time. And I'm sure--I have many friends who are 
doctors who give a lot of charity care. But it shouldn't have to be 
doctors providing charity care to treat people that otherwise wouldn't 
be treated. It should be something that we all give. And I think that 
that's the real social need in this country. And when people talk about 
values and social consciousness and really religious thought and caring 
about others, it really begins with caring about people's health and 
sacrificing maybe some of our own resources to have a government system 
that can help others with their health care.
  So I'm pleased, Madam Speaker, to speak as I have. You have inspired 
me with your remarks, the letters you read; and I'm just pleased that 
Chairman Conyers has this issue before us.
  Madam Speaker, I enter the following for the Record.

     Speaker Nancy Pelosi,
     H-232, U.S. Capitol,
     Washington, DC.
     Chairman David Obey,
     Committee on Appropriations, H-218, U.S. Capitol, Washington, 
         DC.
       Dear Speaker Pelosi and Chairman Obey: I am writing to 
     request that NIH funding in the President's FY09 budget for 
     the research of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, AIDS, 
     Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease be doubled in the 
     final FY09 budget set forth by Congress.
       The following are the estimates included in the President's 
     FY09 Budget request at the National Institutes of Health 
     (NIH): Cancer: $5.654B; Diabetes: $1.033B; Heart Disease: 
     $2.111B; Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and 
     Tuberculosis under National Institute of Allergy and 
     Infectious Diseases: $300M; Alzheimer's Disease: $644M; 
     Parkinson's Disease: $186M.
       These debilitating diseases affect millions of people each 
     year across the globe. Families are torn apart, emotionally 
     and financially, by the effects of their contraction. 
     Congress has a serious responsibility to provide adequate 
     funding for research that could not only find promising 
     treatments, but permanent cures.
       I cannot imagine a more pressing issue than ensuring the 
     healthy future of those we are here to represent. The 
     disparity between the amounts of funding requested for the 
     war in Iraq and that requested to treat deadly diseases is 
     incomprehensible. The successful findings of research 
     programs made possible through increased funding will not 
     only aid people in the United States, but the rest of the 
     world, as well. It is my hope that, by taking full advantage 
     of the scientific resources we have here at home, we can 
     better our relationships with research teams across the globe 
     to reach our common goals: finding a cure and establishing 
     peace.
       As always, I remain,
           Most Sincerely,
                                                      Steve Cohen,
                                               Member of Congress.

  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I would just like to close out this hour by 
saying all those who came forward this evening we appreciate so much 
because you represent different areas of the country, and we hope this 
word can get out across the country that we're ready to move forward.
  And I do hope that we can follow through on our plans to go over the 
media to present the case. So I'm going to request that all Members who 
have stories such as the ones I read, submit them to Congressman 
Conyer's office so we can compile these and be sure that we've 
referenced them as we move closer to accessible health care for all 
Americans.
  And with that, I would like to close out this hour, reserve the 
balance of our time for another evening.
  Thank you so much, Mr. Speaker, for the time.

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