Rep. Luján's Statement On President Obama's Speech To The Joint Session Of Congress

Statement

Rep. Luján's Statement On President Obama's Speech To The Joint Session Of Congress

Congressman Ben Ray Luján made the following statement after President Barack Obama's speech on health insurance reform to a Joint Session of Congress.

"Over the last month I traveled across New Mexico and spoke with many New Mexicans who have been harmed by our badly broken health insurance system. I heard from parents who lost their jobs, and their coverage, making it harder for their families to make ends meet and still receive care. I heard from the mother of a woman suffering from diabetes who could not get insurance because she had a pre-existing condition. Tonight, President Obama shared the experiences others have faced. The reality is clear: these stories are far too common and we need to make health care more affordable and accessible. I applaud the President's commitment to this goal.

In his speech, the President emphasized choice, competition, and cost effectiveness--and I believe that those goals can best be achieved by a public option. This is what I have been saying throughout this process, and I am going to keep fighting to make sure that a public option is included.

I also agree with the President that we need reform that prevents insurance companies from unfairly denying claims, restricting coverage because of pre-existing conditions, arbitrarily setting caps on coverage, or placing limitations on care that your doctor says you need. I am encouraged by the vision that the President laid out tonight, and I hope that we are able to move beyond misconceptions and fear tactics to achieve real reform."

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