Dr. Michael C. Burgess Preventive Health Savings Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas. What a great career he has had in public service. He has truly been an inspiration and a leader among his equals here in the people's House on healthcare issues. He was the founder of the Doctors Caucus. He was the Health Subcommittee chair at the Energy and Commerce Committee and the chair of the Health Care Task Force on the Budget Committee. There is nobody in this Chamber, and I would submit in the United States Congress, who knows more about healthcare and who has endeavored more over the years to make healthcare work.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my Democratic colleagues, Ms. Omar and Ms. DeGette. This is proof that we can work together in good faith, find common ground and consensus solutions to make this country and its government work for the people.
I thank Ms. DeGette for her kind words. We have young people in the gallery who got to hear something they don't often hear on cable news, which is a colleague from one side of the aisle complimenting another. What great decorum. What a great example of civil discourse in their Nation's Capitol. They need to see more of it.
I am grateful that we have an opportunity to address the triple aim in healthcare that often is underutilized because of simply the way we score it. Healthcare innovation and technology can improve access and quality outcomes while bending the curve on costs, not just to our patients and to our fellow Americans, but also to the taxpayers. Healthcare is a third of the budget. It is a big driver of our debt, and we have got to look for commonsense solutions to improve across the board these important outcomes. Again, I thank Ms. Omar and Ms. DeGette for their leadership.
To my friend from the great State of Texas, what a legacy. We named this bill after Dr. Burgess. He was loath to allow that, but it is appropriate because of all that he has done to leave this country better than he found it. This no doubt will have a tremendous impact for the future. May God bless my friend, and Godspeed.
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