Providing For Consideration Of H.R. 3962, Affordable Health Care For America Act, And Providing For Consideration Of H.R. 3961, Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act Of 2009

Floor Speech

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Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, this is a remarkable, historic moment. Passage of health insurance reform is a ``Franklin Roosevelt'' moment, right up there with the creation of Social Security.

We have debated this issue for almost 100 years, since Teddy Roosevelt ran on the Bull Moose Party. This year alone, House committees have spent nearly 100 hours in hearings on health reform. They have heard from 181 witnesses, spent 83 hours in committee markups, and considered 239 amendments. The Rules Committee spent almost 12 hours hearing testimony last night. This has been a very thorough and thoughtful process. The time for talk has come to an end. Now is the time for action.

The need for reform is clear. Since 2000, employer-sponsored health insurance premiums for American families have more than doubled. Because of crushing health care costs, small businesses are losing their ability to compete in the global marketplace.

If we do nothing, as my Republican friends want to do, family premiums will increase an average of $1,800 every year and the number of uninsured will reach 61 million people by 2020. Not only that, but skyrocketing health care costs will bankrupt this country. By the time my kids retire, health care will take up 50 percent, half of our entire economy. We simply cannot leave that kind of debt for future generations.

My Republican friends see things differently. Their prescription for health care is ``take two tax breaks and call me in the morning.'' It is the same-old same-old. For 12 years, Republicans had their chance to improve health care in America, and for 12 years they let the number of uninsured skyrocket, while letting the insurance companies make money hand-over-fist.

Those who vote against this bill are on the wrong side of history. With the passage of this bill, we stand for the uninsured, for the underinsured, for those discriminated against by insurance companies because they have preexisting conditions or because of their gender.

Mr. Speaker, this is an historic moment. I urge my colleagues to stand with the people of this great country; not with the insurance companies and not with the special interests, but with the real people. Vote ``yes'' on this rule. Vote ``yes'' on this bill. Let's deliver real health care insurance reform for the American people.

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