Providing For Consideration Of Senate Amendments To H.R. 4872, Health Care And Education Reconciliation Act Of 2010

Floor Speech

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Ms. MATSUI. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the rule and underlying legislation.

The health care package that we passed on Sunday and have the opportunity to finalize today represents years and sometimes decades of work put in by many of my colleagues here in the House, and it also represents the hopes and dreams of millions of Americans who live one accident away from bankruptcy, one paycheck short of making ends meet.

I've heard from many of the families and seniors who live in my district who've been terrified as they see their insurance rates go up, and fearful of losing their insurance and high quality of care.

But in between the time this House passed one of the most important legislative initiatives in our lifetime and today, I have started to hear from many Sacramentans with a simple message: Thank you. Thank you to this Congress for having the courage to stand up for what's right. Thank you to the Speaker for her leadership in delivering this bill to the American public.

And I would like to say thank you back to the millions of Americans who voiced their strong support of the health care bill. You may not have always been the loudest voice in the room, but that doesn't mean we don't hear you.

Thank you to my colleagues for standing up for the American people in the many hearings, markups, town halls, and floor debates we've had on this issue. I look forward to standing with you today as we pass these improvements on the historic legislation passed on Sunday.

I urge my colleagues to support this rule and the underlying legislation as we stand together and ensure the quality health care Americans deserve at a cost they can afford.

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