[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 14]
[House]
[Pages 19550-19551]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            BROKEN HEALTH INSURANCE SYSTEM NEEDS REFORM NOW

  (Ms. GIFFORDS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1

[[Page 19551]]

minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. GIFFORDS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address our single most 
important domestic issue that faces our country, reforming our broken 
health insurance program.
  We spend too much, we receive too little, and we are left worrying 
that the insurance that we have won't be enough. Nationwide, premiums 
have doubled in the last 9 years, increasing three times faster than 
real wages.
  Arizona's Eighth Congressional District is especially burdened. In 
2008, we had over 950 personal bankruptcies due to health care 
problems.
  We can't perpetuate the status quo. Arizonans need reform that 
protects us from being denied coverage based on a preexisting 
condition. We need reform that guarantees care if we lose our job or 
move. Arizonans need reform that fosters competition and delivers us, 
the customer, the lowest cost and the best service. Arizonans need 
reform that puts the power back into the hands of patients and doctors.
  Mr. Speaker, we can do this, and we must do this. If you like your 
plan, you should be able to keep it and your costs should go down and 
not up. There are savings to be had in our current system, and we must 
focus on squeezing out every drop.

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