[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 14808]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             A LACK OF BIPARTISANSHIP IN HEALTH CARE REFORM

  (Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Madam Speaker, an overhaul of our 
Nation's health care system is under way, and I am glad that people in 
my district are engaged in this critical issue. Unfortunately, the 
Democrats have shared very few details of the plan, except that there 
will be a public plan, which I have to tell you most people are 
frightened of.
  While I realize that we are in the minority party, I still have 
nearly 1 million constituents to represent, including more Medicare 
beneficiaries than any other Member of Congress. My Republican 
colleagues and I have made numerous attempts to reach across the aisle 
to share our ideas on how to improve the health care system and make it 
more affordable. So we are drafting our own bill.
  When President Obama invites Members of Congress to the White House 
to craft health care bills, he invites only Democrats. He has met with 
industry representatives but never with Republicans. Recently, the 
President sent a letter saying he expects a bureaucratic-run health 
system to be included in the final option, but again, he sent the 
letter only to Democrats. Hardly a gesture of bipartisanship.

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