[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 20]
[House]
[Page 27182]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              HEALTH CARE

  (Mr. DeFAZIO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, big insurance companies and their 
Republican allies are bitterly opposed to health care reform, and I 
understand their opposition. This bill will outlaw the worst and the 
most lucrative consumer abuses by the insurance industry. It repeals 
their unfair antitrust immunity. No more collusion and price-fixing to 
drive up your premiums. It outlaws the preexisting condition exclusion. 
It outlaws them from canceling your policy when you get sick, a common 
practice in the insurance industry. And no more small print lifetime 
caps that drive families to bankruptcy.
  It improves Medicare coverage for all Americans and improves Medicare 
reimbursement for Oregon seniors and the disabled. The Republicans 
would have none of that. In fact, they opened new loopholes for abuses 
by the insurance industry by allowing them to base their national plans 
in the new state of the Northern Mariana Islands, which they have 
designated in their alternative. So when you have a complaint, you can 
call Jack Abramoff when he gets out of jail, and he will help you with 
your insurance problem. That's the Republican plan.
  Our plan isn't perfect, but it is a good step toward providing 
affordable health care for all Americans.

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