[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 15175]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          WHAT AMERICANS WANT

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, what the American people 
want from their elected representatives is very much the opposite of 
what this body has been delivering. Americans didn't want this 
shutdown, but here we are. They didn't want to lose the health care 
plans they have, but a very large number will in the future. They 
wanted lower health care costs, but insurance rates continue to 
escalate.
  In Pennsylvania, the Children's Health Insurance Program provides 
good-quality, low-cost, market-based health care coverage. My 
constituents don't want their children forced out of this program and 
into medical assistance, but that's now happening.
  If the legislative process worked, we would have amended the so-
called Affordable Care Act's fatal flaws. If it worked, the repeal of 
the medical device tax, which has bipartisan support in the House and 
Senate, would have been sent to the President's desk long ago. It 
hasn't. It remains chained up in the Senate leader's office.
  My constituents know that I don't run all three branches of 
government. They know it's not my party in the White House or in 
control of the Senate. Mr. Speaker, what they do expect is for me to be 
their voice in Washington, to solve problems, fix government, and put 
forward solutions.

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