Standing For Health Care

Floor Speech

Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I was there when the President signed the health care bill into law. I saw him sign it in ink, but my heart was heavy because I knew that while he was signing in ink, it was written in prayers, the prayers of some 46 million people who did not have insurance. Signed in ink, written in prayers, but also written in tears, the tears of parents who have children with preexisting conditions who could not get insurance for their children. Signed in ink, written in prayers, tears, as well as blood, because in this country 45,000 people die annually because they do not have insurance. That's one person every 12 minutes.

So I do not stand for and will not stand for reinstating tears, for reinstating those prayers, and I will not have the blood of the 45,000 on my hands. I stand with the bill.

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