[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 17660]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HEALTH CARE REFORM

  (Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 
highlight the significance of health care reform for our country and to 
emphasize the importance of keeping the real VIPs, the people, involved 
in the process.
  Health care reform is evolving rapidly, and I want to ensure that the 
people back home have real input into what is going on here in 
Washington, DC.
  Earlier this year, I set up a Health Care Advisory Committee, which I 
meet with every month and which my staff deals with on a daily basis. 
Members of the advisory committee not only receive the news that's 
happening here on Capitol Hill with respect to health care, but they 
actually give us their input of what they're hearing and what they want 
to see in a health care reform bill. Their expert opinions are so 
valued in our ability to try to decide what to do here. And next week I 
will hold a town hall meeting where people back home can come and 
actually give us their ideas and listen to what is going on here with 
the development of health care reform.
  I encourage all of my colleagues to go home and to hold these types 
of meetings and to listen to what the people really want.

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