Healthcare Needs of the Uninsured

Floor Speech

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Ms. HOULAHAN. Madam Speaker, last week, I had the opportunity to visit the Community Volunteers in Medicine center in West Chester, Pennsylvania, which works to meet the healthcare needs of the working poor and uninsured in my community.

Giuseppe is a member of my Pennsylvania community and owns a pizza shop with his wife. He has diabetes, hypertension, and major cardiac issues. Combined, they bring in $2,200 a month, and their prescription drug prices are $1,790. Without CVIM, the family would be paying 81 percent of their monthly income just for prescription drugs.

The astronomical costs of prescription drugs affect everyone. Neither being a Democrat nor a Republican will get you a discount. We are failing the people of this country by not working together as a Congress to relieve these burdens. For too long, Congress has used people's access to healthcare as a political pawn.

As my mother would say: ``We need to knock it off.'' Please join us in working together and side by side to help people across our country with these issues.

I applaud CVIM for their efforts, and I want Giuseppe and my fellow Pennsylvanians to know: I see you, and I will keep fighting for you.

Please join me.

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