[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 20]
[House]
[Page 27181]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              HEALTH CARE

  (Mr. BLUMENAUER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, one of the strangest sights, and now a 
symbol of the health care debate, was the red-faced protesters, egged 
on by my GOP colleagues to ``keep government out of their Medicare''. 
These people are not ignorant; they are uninformed, and unfortunately, 
purposely misled by some on the other side of the aisle, by Republican 
talking points that deny government can have a constructive role in 
health care, even as they rely on government for health care for 
seniors, veterans, emergency services and, of course, for themselves.
  When most Americans are given the facts, they are pleased that it is 
now time to take the next steps beyond our seniors, beyond our 
veterans, beyond emergency services and, of course, beyond Members of 
Congress.
  Today we can extend those benefits to more Americans while we protect 
those with insurance from abuse and reform a Medicare system that is in 
trouble. Americans await Congress to take these next critical steps to 
give Americans the health care they need and deserve.

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