[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 15720]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           HEALTH CARE REFORM

  (Mr. PALLONE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, today, the House leadership will unveil a 
uniquely American solution for health care reform. It will build upon 
existing programs like Medicare and Medicaid that will be improved 
significantly. It will say to employers that if you like the health 
insurance you're providing your employees, we want you to keep it, and 
we will certainly encourage more employers to provide health insurance 
for their employees.
  But for those Americans who have no health insurance, or those 
Americans who have difficulty affording health insurance because they 
have to go out on the individual market, or have a small group plan 
that becomes very expensive, those individuals will be able to buy 
cheaper health insurance, much more low-cost health insurance through 
what the Federal Government would provide. There will be competition 
between public and private plans, and that will be our way of reducing 
costs. Because what this plan will do primarily is to reduce costs for 
most Americans and, at the same time, make sure that every American has 
health insurance.
  I can't tell you how important that is. It is so important that every 
American know that they can have quality and affordable health 
insurance. It basically allows them to have peace of mind to not have 
to worry about whether they have one job or another, and this is what 
we're doing because we believe it's important for the average American.

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