[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 19143]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      WE NEED TO BREAK THE HOLD INTEREST GROUPS HAVE ON OUR NATION

  (Mr. KUCINICH asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. KUCINICH. The health care debate ends up being a debate about the 
legitimacy of our political system. If this is truly a government of 
the people, by the people and for the people, then why do we not 
already have a health care system which meets the needs of all the 
people? Is it because we have a market-based, for-profit health care 
system? Why do we have 50 million Americans uninsured and another 50 
million Americans underinsured? Why are most bankruptcies connected to 
people being so heavily in debt for hospital bills?
  America faces not only a health crisis but a spiritual crisis when 
health insurance and other interest groups stand between the people and 
their government extracting the wealth of our Nation and appropriating 
it to a few at the expense of the many and pressing upon the many the 
burden of illness and the brevity of life.
  It is time to break the hold these interest groups have on our 
government. When we do, our Nation will be more healthy and more free.

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