[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 4733]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           HEALTH CARE REFORM

  (Mr. POLIS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. POLIS. Madam Speaker, I rise today, in celebration of the 
historic passage of health care reform for our country. I am going to 
quote from our Declaration of Independence: All men are created equal, 
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, 
that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That 
to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men.
  Yes, it is the purpose of our government that we the people have set 
up to secure the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. 
The pursuit of life, the right of living, to be able to live and get 
the right medical care you need shouldn't depend on whether you had 
cancer as a 25-year-old, shouldn't depend on whether you had a stroke 
when you were a kid. These are not somebody's fault; it can happen to 
anybody. And just because of a preexisting condition, you should not be 
denied coverage.
  That is what this bill means for America. Our Founding Fathers would 
be proud today that we stood up for the principle to protect the lives 
of all Americans by ensuring that all Americans can access affordable, 
quality health care.

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