Cybersecurity Act of 2012

Floor Speech

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Mr. DURBIN. First, I thank my colleague from Iowa, Senator Harkin, for the clarity of his statement, for his sincerity and, most importantly, for his leadership. We have the Affordable Care Act because of Tom Harkin, Chris Dodd, Barbara Mikulski, and others who worked hard to make sure it was here to help families all across America, particularly those in low-income situations.

Like Senator Harkin, I was stunned this morning when the Republican leader came to the floor and said: The first thing we want to do is to repeal all of this health care preventive care that will be available across America, including the provisions that go into effect tomorrow protecting 47 million of our women and family members all across the United States--2 million in Illinois, I might add, will be helped by this. They insist on bringing up on the pending bill on the Senate floor this amendment to basically remove the protection for these women that is built into the Affordable Care Act.

I have to say to Senator Harkin, we can't be too surprised at this. Does the Senator remember the very first amendment the Republicans offered on the Transportation bill--a bill that we wanted to pass to build highways and airports? Remember what Senator Blunt, the Republican from Missouri, offered as the first Republican amendment to the Transportation bill? It was on family planning. Family planning on transportation? I guess some late night comedian can make a connection, but I don't get it.

Now we have the pending cyber security bill to protect America from a cyber attack that could cost American lives--something we are told is the No. 1 threat to America--and Senator McConnell comes to the floor on behalf of the Republicans and says: This bill won't go forward unless we can offer an amendment to repeal the Affordable Care Act--repeal the protections that are there for families and women across America.

It is stunning that no matter what issue we go to the Republican Senators return to this issue of denying health care coverage and denying protection and preventive care to our families. In a way--the Senator touched on it--it is pretty easy for a Senator to come to the floor and talk about somebody else's health care because, as you and I know, and Senator McConnell knows, the health care we have as Members of the Senate--American families would die for the health care we have. We have the best health care insurance in the world, and we have it in a government-administered plan that protects every Senator and their family. We are lucky. We are in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan. I believe people across America should have the same opportunity for the same type of health care.

I am still waiting for the first Republican Senator who gets up on the floor and denounces government-administered health care to walk to the well and say: As a proof of my sincerity, I am going to abandon my own health insurance as a Senator. Not one has done that, not a single one.

So for the Senators who come to the floor, their wives will still be protected by our health insurance, and their daughters will still be protected. The question we have to ask is, Should the protection we have as Senators for our families be available to others all across America? That is what this is about.

Tomorrow is the launch of an amazing development in health care protection for our families. I applaud it. My wife and I are still celebrating because our daughter gave birth to twins in November. We have twin grandchildren--now 8 months old. They got through the pregnancy well; she was cared for and did just great. We are so proud of our daughter, our son-in-law, and their family. I think about the provision that will go into effect tomorrow. The Senator from Iowa knows that pregnant women in danger of gestational diabetes that could threaten their lives and the lives of the babies they are carrying will have preventive screening to protect them.

Don't come to the floor and tell me you are pro-life and pro-family and you oppose that. If you want a healthy mom and baby, this screening that starts tomorrow for millions of American women is going to be a step forward, a positive step toward uneventful births and healthy babies. Think about the care and screening for cancer and for all of the problems that women face.

I see Senator Murray on the Senate floor. She has been an extraordinary leader on this issue. I will yield to her in a moment.

All those who are on this campaign to repeal ObamaCare--that was their slur on that, and we accept it. It was accomplished under President Obama, and I was proud to vote for it. It is one of the most important votes I ever cast as a Member of the Senate. Those who want to repeal this so-called ObamaCare--as Senator McConnell called for again today on behalf of the Republicans--would repeal a few basic things we should not forget. Every family in America has a child with a preexisting condition. Think of asthma, diabetes, or a history of cancer.

Under our law, they cannot be denied health insurance coverage. We protect those kids, and we protect their families. The Senate Republicans want to repeal it. Seniors across America who are paying for prescription drugs and going into their savings to fill the doughnut hole each year are getting a helping hand from the affordable health care act. The Senate Republicans want to repeal it. Families across America with kids fresh out of college looking for jobs and can't find them or have a job without good health care can still be covered under their parents' policy until the young person reaches the age of 26. That is what the affordable health care act does. The Senate Republicans want to repeal it. And tomorrow 47 million women in America will have preventive screening so they can be healthy on an affordable basis and be mothers giving birth to healthy babies. That is in this new law, and the Senate Republicans want to repeal it.

This isn't just a war against the pill. This isn't just a war against family planning. It is literally a war against women. And the statements of the Senate Republican leader on the floor today are proof positive that they have one focus, and that is to take away these protections we built into the law.

I am happy to yield the floor for our leader on this issue, my colleague from Washington State.

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