Health Care

Floor Speech

HEALTH CARE -- (Senate - June 10, 2009)

Mrs. MURRAY. Earlier this morning and, in fact, for the past several days, I have been interested to hear the comments from several of our Republican counterparts on the issue of health care. They are talking about Canada. Now, that is interesting. I appreciate that. Coming from a State close to Canada, we are very interested in what Canada does. But the discussion about what Canada does with its health care system has no bearing on what we are trying to do here in the Senate and Congress to reform the American health care system.

I guess, and I am only guessing, they want to talk about Canada because they do not want to talk about their real priority. Their real priority in coming out and inflating a discussion that should not even exist because it is not what we are talking about is simply because they want to protect the status quo. They want to protect the status quo in our health care system today. So they are out here talking about Canada. Well, that is not an option.

Let me tell you what we are doing because this is a very important discussion and a very important piece of legislation we are beginning our work on in the Senate. The status quo is not acceptable. This is an extraordinary moment of opportunity for real reform in health care. We here in the Senate are working very hard to come up with legislation that will reduce the cost for our families, for our businesses, and for our government.

Like all of my colleagues, I go home every weekend and I hear from individual families and people, from community leaders and businesses that the status quo is not acceptable. They will not tolerate a debate here in the Senate that goes for the status quo.

We here in the Senate are working on legislation that will protect people's choice of doctors, will protect their choice of hospitals, will protect their choice of insurance plan. If you like what you have today, that will be what you have when this legislation is passed. And that is very important. We are also working as a goal to assure that affordable, high-quality health care is available for every American. That is not the case today. Our work really builds on the existing employer-based system we have. We strengthen it. Again, if you like what you have, you will be able to keep it. Let me say this again: If you like what you have, when our legislation is passed and signed by the President, you will be able to keep it. But if you do not like what you have today in terms of your health care or if you do not have any health care insurance at all, we are going to provide new options for you so you have better health care.

Health care reform is not a luxury, it is an imperative today. Our health care system puts far too many Americans into crisis, and reforming it is an urgent necessity that demands our immediate attention. If we are going to restore the economy and secure our Nation's fiscal future, now is the time to make health care more affordable for American families and business and government at every level. Doing nothing is not an option.

As we move forward on this debate, I remind all of us, do not be distracted by superfluous arguments that do not apply to the bills we are discussing.

The bill on which we are going to move forward in the Senate makes sure that if you like what you have today, you are going to be able to keep it. But as you and I both know, Mr. President, too many people cannot afford their health care today or they are unable to get health insurance because their insurance company says: You have too many problems, we are not going to insure you, or they do not have insurance at all. We want to make sure health care is available to every American.

I am very proud of the effort that is going on as we speak. The health care committee is meeting today with our Republican colleagues to walk through our ideas we have now been putting together and get their input and ask for their options. We hope to work with them side by side, and we are giving them every opportunity to do so, because health care has to work for all Americans.

So despite the rhetoric we heard on the floor this morning about Canada, which I love--Canada is a great country--that is not what we are doing here. We are moving forward on health care reform that is drastically needed. The status quo is not an option. Doing nothing is not an option. Stopping us from moving forward is not an option. This is an issue we are having the courage to take up and move forward on because America needs us to do that.

I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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