[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 8404]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  COVER THE UNINSURED WEEK WITH A CALL FOR COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH CARE 
                                 REFORM

  (Ms. WATSON asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, this is Cover the Uninsured Week, March 22-
29, and I call for enactment of comprehensive health care reform this 
year.
  Reforming the Nation's health care to lower costs, improve quality, 
increase coverage, and preserve choice is a top priority for Congress 
and the President. Our Nation's health care system, which costs more 
every year and leaves more than 45 million citizens uninsured, and 
millions more underinsured, is in bad need of reform. We simply can't 
afford to wait any longer to make the changes necessary to ensure 
greater access to quality health care.
  The problem of the uninsured and its impact on the entire health care 
system continues to grow. The Federal Government estimates that over 45 
million individuals lacked health insurance coverage of any kind during 
the last year, 2008. Approximately $56 billion is in uncompensated 
care.
  We need to change that.

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