[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 8]
[House]
[Pages 10948-10949]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         PRESIDENT OBAMA CARES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Wilson) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WILSON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, ``ObamaCare'' was coined by the 
Republicans to mock the wonderful Affordable Care Act passed by 
Congress in 2010 and signed into law by President Obama.
  The recent Supreme Court decision proves that ObamaCare was the 
perfect nickname because President Obama cares. He cares about you. He 
cares about me. He cares about my friends on the Democratic side of the 
aisle and he cares about my friends on the Republican side of the 
aisle.

                              {time}  1100

  He cares about all Americans. President Obama cares about us, and he 
thinks that we should not have to worry about going broke just because 
someone in our family gets sick.
  Because Obama cares, every American has the right to affordable 
health care. And yet the Republicans hate it with every fiber of their 
being. Why?
  Don't Republicans get sick, too? Don't Republicans worry about having 
to file for bankruptcy just because someone in their family gets sick? 
Don't Republicans go to the emergency room with no insurance?
  Later this week, the Republicans will vote to repeal a law that 
proves that Obama cares. Not ``repeal and replace,'' as they said they 
would do when they made their Pledge to America--just repeal. In other 
words, get rid of it, period.
  How can the Republicans explain to their constituents the repeal of a 
law that affords health care for everyone? Are they trying to send a 
message that Republicans don't need health care?
  Republicans are not robots. They get sick, they need surgery, they 
feel pain, they hurt, they cry, they mourn, they weep. Access to 
affordable health care is a basic right. It's not a Republican right, a 
Democratic right or an Independent right. It's a basic right for all 
Americans.
  Hello. If you're out there somewhere in America today and you feel 
you don't need health care because you are invincible, well, you are 
not. Do you feel that the rest of us should pay your medical bills? 
Enough of that already.
  Do you feel that those less fortunate should suffer needlessly? Then 
you need to pray to your God for forgiveness.
  You must care. You must care about the less fortunate, the working 
poor, the foster child, the disabled, the elderly, the mentally ill, 
the homeless, those wracked with pain. And all of Congress must care.
  The Affordable Care Act shows that Obama cares. He cares enough to 
include a provision that ensures our children can no longer be denied 
health care because of a preexisting condition. Obama cares enough to 
include a provision that allows students and young people under 26 to 
stay on their parents' health insurance plan no matter where they live.
  Obama cares enough to add language that closes the Medicare doughnut 
hole so that seniors pay less for their prescription drugs. They no 
longer have to decide whether to fill their prescriptions or buy some 
food.
  Obama cares enough to put in provisions that insist that insurance 
companies cannot drop your coverage when you get sick or that prohibit 
insurance companies from placing annual and lifetime limits on your 
health care. Life is so unpredictable.
  And Obama cares enough to include a provision that prevents insurance 
companies from charging higher premiums for women just because they 
happen to be women.
  The law of our land says that if you have a car you must insure that 
car. If you have a mortgage, you must insure that mortgage. If you have 
a body, insure it. Keep it healthy. Get your checkups, take your 
medication. What is more important to you, your luxury car, your 
beautiful house, or a healthy body?
  Every Member of Congress has wonderful health care insurance, and our

[[Page 10949]]

pharmacy bills are so cheap it's unbelievable. It's simply great being 
covered by my health care in Congress.
  Shouldn't we want the same for our constituents who sent us here to 
serve them? Shouldn't we care?
  President Obama cares. Nancy Pelosi cares. Steny Hoyer cares. James 
Clyburn cares. John Larson cares. Xavier Becerra cares, and I care.
  Republicans out there, can you hear me?
  You should make all Members of the U.S. House of Representatives 
care. Contact and let them know that everyone needs the same health 
care amenities that they enjoy.
  Don't be hoodwinked by the tax rhetoric. Listen to the facts. Read 
the fine print. You deserve access to affordable health care. You need 
affordable care.
  Power to the people. Power to ObamaCare.

                          ____________________