[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 16]
[House]
[Page 21220]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN; IS WASHINGTON LISTENING?

  (Mr. PENCE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PENCE. After a tumultuous month of townhall meetings across the 
Nation, the American people have spoken, and House Republicans are on 
the side of the American people.
  As the President comes into this well of Congress tonight to deliver 
a speech on health care reform, one thing is clear: the American people 
don't want just another speech on health care; they want another health 
care plan.
  What I heard back home is that the folks want us to take action here 
in Washington that will lower the cost of health insurance and lower 
the cost of health care in the long term, but the American people don't 
want us to launch a new government-run insurance plan that will lead to 
a government takeover of health care paid for with $800 billion in 
higher taxes.
  As the President knows, House Republicans have a broad range of 
legislative ideas, and we hope to hear and reflect on some of them 
tonight. Why not let Americans purchase health insurance the way 
Members of Congress can across State lines? Why not bring about 
reasonable restrictions and limits on medical malpractice claims to end 
the era of defensive medicine?
  House Republicans will welcome the President of the United States 
respectfully to the well of Congress tonight, and we stand ready to 
work with the Democratic majority to solve our health care challenges.
  The American people have spoken. Tonight we'll see if Washington is 
listening.

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