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




                        HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM

  (Mr. ELLISON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ELLISON. Mr. Speaker, the time is now. Members on the party 
opposite say we need more time, slow down.
  But what about six decades of demanding that we fix health care in 
America? What about the 45 hours of bipartisan debate in three separate 
House committees on this legislation? What about the 79 House hearings 
that we've had? What about those people who today face being turned 
down because they have a preexisting condition? What about those folks 
who got a $10,000 deductible and who are being told that they have got 
to spend up all that money just to get procedures to maybe perhaps deal 
with a bladder infection or something like that?
  The time is now. The fierce urgency is now upon us. Mr. Speaker, let 
those who want to delay the care and well-being of others do something 
else. But for us who care about and have heard the calls of the people, 
let's pass health care now.

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