[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 17662]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               HEALTH CARE CRISIS ALSO AN ECONOMIC CRISIS

  (Mr. DRIEHAUS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. DRIEHAUS. Mr. Speaker, until we fix health care in this country, 
families and small businesses will bear a heavier and heavier financial 
burden that will slow economic recovery and stifle growth and 
investment.
  In Ohio, health care costs for small businesses have grown 30 percent 
in recent years. Employer coverage across the State has declined, so 
that now less than half of all small businesses offer health care 
coverage benefits to their employees.
  The average Ohio family that does receive health care coverage from 
their employer pays nearly $13,000 in premiums every year. And because 
more than 1 in 10 Ohioans lives without any health insurance, Ohio's 
economy loses between $3.5 billion and $7 billion every year due to 
lost productivity.
  The health care crisis is an economic crisis, and part of fixing our 
economy is ensuring that every single American has quality, affordable 
health care. The status quo is no longer tolerable for Ohio and no 
longer tolerable for America.

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