[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 18579]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   URGING MEMBERS TO PASS HEALTH CARE REFORM BEFORE THE AUGUST RECESS

  (Ms. PINGREE of Maine asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with tremendous hope 
and full confidence that we are finally moving forward with legislation 
that will put our health care system on the right track and bring 
quality, affordable health care to all Americans. I strongly support 
H.R. 3200, America's Affordable Health Choices Act. I believe that this 
is the right step for families, for small businesses, and for people in 
Maine and all across the country. But I also have a warning, a warning 
that comes from my experience in the Maine Legislature, a warning that 
comes from taking on the pharmaceutical companies, the insurance 
companies and the entrenched special interests that have done 
everything they can to block health care reform for a generation.
  Mr. Speaker, if we go home for recess without passing this bill, we 
will give the special interests and their lobbyists 5 weeks to dump 
millions of dollars into ad campaigns that spread misinformation, fear 
and confusion. We will give them 5 weeks to do everything they can to 
kill the best chance we have had in a lifetime to move forward on 
significant health care reform. We must pass this bill now. We 
absolutely cannot afford to wait. I look forward to going back to my 
district in August and telling the good people of Maine that we didn't 
let them down.

                          ____________________