[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 15618]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH CARE REFORM NEEDED

  (Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the 
urgent need for health care reform. Comprehensive health care reform is 
about addressing what I call the three C's; care, cost and continuity.
  Americans deserve affordable, high-quality and portable care. Some of 
our parents may have worked one job and had the same insurance plan for 
40 years, but that is not how we lead our lives now. We may have 7 to 
10 jobs over the course of our lifetime, and health care reform has to 
reflect the way that people lead their lives.
  People shouldn't feel trapped in a job because they are afraid to 
lose health care coverage for themselves or their child, and no life 
decision should hinge on whether you have health insurance.
  Health care reform is about expanding coverage, creating competition 
and meaningful choice. And right here in Congress we are working to 
create a uniquely American system of health care that provides for 
affordable, high-quality care to all Americans.
  You have seen firsthand why we need reform of the health care system, 
and you know that we have to lower costs and cover all Americans. The 
cost of this Congress doing nothing to reform the current health care 
system is catastrophic, and the status quo is unsustainable. I cannot 
stress enough the urgent need for health care reform.

                          ____________________