[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 17659]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              HEALTH CARE

  (Mr. PASCRELL asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express how important it is that 
we pass comprehensive health reform this year that expands health 
insurance coverage, reins in spending, and is fiscally responsible.
  The health reform package that the committees will consider this week 
shows a genuine commitment to reversing the current unsustainable 
trends, to providing stability for hardworking Americans, and to being 
fiscally responsible. There is no question that we must take action and 
that our actions must be fully paid for. With these ground rules, we 
face difficult decisions, many of which may not be politically popular, 
but my colleagues and I on Ways and Means are fully committed to paying 
for this essential legislation.
  Our current path in delivering health care is unsustainable, and I 
share with you some disturbing figures from my home State of New Jersey 
that illustrates the point.
  New Jerseyans are paying more and getting less. Between 2000 and 
2007, the average New Jersey worker's share of family premiums nearly 
doubled, outpacing the growth in wages nearly five times over.
  Mr. Speaker, we must act this week, and we must act with all due 
resolve.

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