[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15254]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE FOR EVERYONE

  (Mr. KAGEN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. KAGEN. Mr. Speaker, we've come to a point in time in American 
history when it's past time for us to guarantee access to affordable 
health care for everyone.
  Last week, Thursday, President Obama came to Green Bay, Wisconsin, 
and he didn't have to travel very far to find a health care story. At 
the airport restaurant there's Jeff. And Jeff is working 65 hours a 
week, two different jobs, and he doesn't have the health care coverage 
that he needs. He can't get health care coverage because he has a 
preexisting medical condition.
  It's time for this House, on both sides of the aisle, to understand 
that Jeff isn't the only one who needs our help.
  We need to have choices. We need to have the care that we require 
just to get through the day, and we have to have health care at a price 
we can all afford to pay. And we must guarantee that no citizen shall 
suffer any discrimination due to any preexisting medical conditions.
  And I'll ask you this question: Isn't it time that we have a Federal 
standard, a standard health benefit plan, that's available to each and 
every American citizen and legal resident?
  I think it's time, and so do the people of northeast Wisconsin.

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