[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 18841]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      AMERICA CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO WAIT FOR HEALTH CARE REFORM

  (Mr. BRALEY of Iowa asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. BRALEY of Iowa. Madam Speaker, on Tuesday there was a long parade 
of my friends from the other side coming down here to the Well to talk 
about the problems with the Democratic health care bill. And you just 
heard the distinguished minority leader talking about the cost of this 
bill.
  Well, this is a stark reality, America. America can no longer wait 
for health care reform. Every person in this country pays a hidden tax 
of $1,200 a year, every family in this country pays a hidden tax of 
$1,800 a year, to take care of people right now who don't have health 
insurance but still get health care.
  That's the reality that we're dealing with, and that's why we are 
working hard to try to transform our health care delivery system.
  And my friend from Louisiana who just spoke is a perfect example of 
what's wrong. Right now, we know that in our country the States that 
provide the highest quality of care to Medicare patients get paid the 
least, while the State of Louisiana spends more per Medicare patient 
than any other State and ranks 50th on Medicare quality of assessments.
  That's why Democrats are leading the charge to change the way we 
transform our health care system.

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