new taxes, and despite the effect of accounting practices to hide the true cost of this bill, it appears that we have run out of money in washington because we are imposing unprecedented and on constitutional mandates on our state. i guess this might be the last votes of my congressional career. as i resume my full-time activity to become the governor of the great state of georgia that i will cast my vote in opposition of this bill. if my -- if this bill becomes law and i am successful in my undertaking, i will make sure that the people of my state are not subjected to the unconstitutional mandate and that my state is not subject to this. i know that i am not alone. yester day, 38 states indicated that they would join in suing the challenge of the constitutionality of the statute.

talent -- to join me in a note. >> the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from california is recognized. . minutes. mr. wax pan: -- mr. waxman: this is a historic moment. this is a moment presidents of both parties have sought for hundreds of years. we must act. the status quo sun sustainable. this bill provides all americans the security of knowing they will always be able to afford health care for themselves and their families. the bedrock foundation of the legislation is that it builds on what works today and reform what is it doesn't. but we fundamentally reform the insurance company practices that are failing our families. americans with pre-existing conditions can no longer be denied coverage.

we abolish lifetime limits on coverage and we ban the practice of rescission by insurance companies when people get sick. we strengthen medicare, seniors who hit the doughnut hole for their drug coverage will get immediate help. a $250 rebate this year, a 50% discount on their brand name drugs next year and the doughnut hole will be completely eliminated within a decade. we provide coverage to 32 million uninsured americans. we eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse. the american people will see immediate benefits. today we vote to make a profound difference for the betterment of the american people under the leadership of the president and our speaker. we provide access to quality health insurance for all. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserve. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. barton: i want to yield to

the gentleman from michigan, mr. upton, one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. upton: thank you, madam speaker. madam speaker, folks are scared. they are really scared. debt is at a historic level, spending is out of control, the nation's trip triple-a credit rating is in trouble. we're going to spend $1 trillion over the next 10 years for $6 trillion in benefits. how did we get here? we are going to start by raiding $523 billion from the medicare checks of older americans. whatever happened to tort reform? not here. the lawyers will continue to get richer suing doctors and hospitals and older americans will see their benefits evaporate. where are our priorities? yesterday i introduced an amendment to delay the bill

until we can guarantee medicare solvency for at least 30 years. it was denied. i guess they'd rather spend money we don't have than uphold our commitments to seniors. debt continues to soar beyond belief. today, every man, woman, and child will spend $6,000 on the debt. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized. >> i'm proud to yield to the gentleman from michigan, mr. dingell who has championed the cause for health care in all the time he's been in the congress and before that, his father called upon the congress to adopt this legislation as well. i yield two minutes to the distinguished dean of the house, john dingell from michigan. mr. dingell: madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent to revise

and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. dingell: madam speaker, i thank my colleague mr. waxman for his leadership and his gracious comments. i want to thank and praise our speaker, our majority leader and the leader in the senate for the great leadership they have given us in this time. today is a day that's going to rank with the day we passed the civil rights bill in 1964. today we are doing something that ranks with what we did with social security and medicare. this is a day in which we can all be proud if we vote for that legislation. facts are an intransgent, hard thing. let's look at the facts of that this does. 32 million americans are going to have health care that don't now. america, which has health care of the best character in the world, does not make it available to 32 million of its people because they can't afford it. and americans every day are losing their health care.

18,000 americans every year die for want of health care. and 44,000 americans also go bankrupt because of it. what does this bill do? it gives americans the same health care that we here in the congress have. it preserves their choice. it sees if those americans want to change, they can do so. it also fixes the insurance company and as the president has said, this bill is the patient's bill of rights on steroids. as my colleagues who worked on this bill when we passed it years ago will remember, that is legislation which proteblingts the rights of citizens and rate payers. and the reason the insurance companies are so up in arms about it, and they're the ones opposing this bill, is because it's going to take care of their patients and because it's going to take care of their customers. what's it going to do?

no more pre-existing conditions and they can't cancel your policy while you're on the gurney riding into the operating room because you're sick. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. dingell: i want to commend my colleagues for this. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. does the gentleman from california wish to yield additional time? the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from -- the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognize plsmed barton: i would like to yield for unanimous consent request, a member of the committee from the keystone state of pennsylvania, dr. murphy. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. murphy: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks in opposition to this flawed health care bill. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. barton: madam speaker, i'd like to yield for one minute to the gentleman from florida, mr.

stearns. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. stearns: this incredibly expensive, $1 trillion health care bill will hurt many that simply currently have insurance. the bill will hurt veterans because it does not accept tricare as a qualified medical plan. it will hurt seniors by cutting medicare advantage to fund these new government programs. mr. stupak, no lawyer, will argue that an executived orer is law so the senate bill starts us on a path of government-sanctioned abortion on demand, paid for by taxpayers. the u.s. has a $1.5 trillion deficit and now we're adding $1.2 trillion over 10 years. the president pledged no family making under $250,000 would face tax increases, yet there are 12 new tax increases violating that pledge and 46% of families making less than

$66,000 will be forced to pay the individual mandate. the bill will expand the i.r.s. by 17,000 auditors to enforce new taxes. it will hurt businesses, create health care rationing and move the united states of america to fiscal instability. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the gentleman from california is recognize. mr. waxman: ms. speaker, i'm pleased to yield at this time to the chairman of the health subcommittee who has played such an instrumental role in the legislation, the gentleman from new jersey, mr. pallone, for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. pallone: thank you, madam speaker. i'm amazed when i hear my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. they seem to ignore the fact that our health care system is in crisis. millions of americans are going without health insurance. rising health care costs are bankrupting so many american families. now, democrats today have proposed a bill that will lower health care cost, give almost

all americans quality health care coverage, the same as members of congress, and i'm going to repeat that. the same as members of congress, and put an end to insurance company abuses. when we passed this bill -- when we pass this bill, 32 million more americans will be able to see a doctor on a regular basis. america's seniors will get more help to get prescription drugs to keep them healthy and out of the hospital. americans will be healthier, fewer people will get seriously ill and incur outrageous medical bills for hospital and nursing home care and healthier people save the government and health care system significant money even beyond the c.b.o. projections. madam speaker, passage of this bill will lead to a healthier and a stronger america. i urge my colleagues to vote yes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. barton: madam speaker, i want to yield to the gentleman from the bluegrass state of kentucky, mr. whitfield, one

minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kentucky is recognized for one minute. mr. whitfield: thank you. yesterday, i read an article by speaker pelosi in which she said the health care bill they propose would strengthen medicare, redeuce deficits and bring the predatory practices of health insurance companies under control. how can you strengthen medicare when you take $500 billion out of it? out of the nursing homes, out of hospitals, and out of medicare advantage? how do you claim you reduce the deficit by $138 billion when you include the taxes for 10 years and the expenditures for only six years? and how do you say you're going to control the insurance companies and act like you're throwing them into the briar patch when in fact they support this bill? they went to the white house and helped write this bill. why? because this bill requires small businesses and individuals to buy health insurance and if not, they will

be subject to civil penalty. health reform may be necessary. but this bill is the wrong bill. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. waxman: i yield one minute to the gentleman from massachusetts, mr. markey, an important member of the committee. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. minute. mr. markey: on are, the democratic party is the party of hope, the republicans are the party of nope. the democratic health care bill lowers prescription drug costs for seniors, expands doverpblg 32 million more americans, reducing the deficit by $143 billion over the next 10 year, gives middle class families tax credits to help pay for health coverage. what do the republican says to this plan? they say, nope. nope to lowering prescription drug prices. nope to expanding coverage.

nope to health insurance tax breaks. g.o.p. used to stand for grand old party. now it stands for grandstand, oppose, and postpone. they grandstand with phony claims about nonexistent government takeovers. they oppose any real reform. then they want to postpone fixing our broken health care system. g.o.p., grandstand, oppose, and postpone. today we have a choice. between change and more of the same, between hope and nope. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman's time has expired. mr. markey: for john dingell, for ted kennedy, for all those who need health care reform. the speaker pro tempore: members should heed the gavel. the gentleman from texas is recognized.

mr. barton: could mr. markey repeat what he just said? i didn't quite get it. i want to yield one minute to the gentleman from the grand canyon state, mr. shadegg of arizona. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. shadegg: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend. never before has such a massive change in policy been made on such a purely partisan basis and in the face of such overwhelming opposition. tragically this bill will destroy freedom and do incredible damage to the society. this is a bailout for insurance company they get the individual mandate they wanted all along, a mandate that's un-american and unconstitutional. mark my words, the massive expansion of medicaid in this bill will bankrupt our states. taxes will go up. the deficit will go up and the debt will go up. this bill is the epitome of

washington politicians telling the american people we know better how to run your lives than you do. we owe the american people much better than this we owe them real health care reform. we owe them the kind of reforms that will bring down their premiums. we owe them across-state-line purchases we owe them health care pooling so the sick and ill and those with pre-existing conditions can get their care paid for. the s%)"2r#: r

that has eluded them. as the catholic sisters said as they urged us to vote for this legislation, they called it life-affirming. i think the steps we take this evening will perfect the union in our country. why? because the human body holds the soul. and when we help to cure, when we help to heal, when we recognize the dignity of every single american, that they have first-class citizenship and that they should, indeed, have health care coverage. this is a landmark piece of legislation. i feel privileged that my constituents have sent me here to cast a vote for it. and i urge everyone to do so. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: members

are reminded to please heed the gavel. the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. barton: i yield one minute to the gentlelady from the golden gate state of california, congressman bono mack. the speaker pro tempore: the the gentlewoman from california is recognized. mrs. bono mack i rise in opposition to this flawed bill and adds to this massive deficit. this bill and abusive process and back-room deals to secure passage is the wrong approach. my father was a teaching physician at ucla and would have been appalled that a new bureaucracy will be making the health care decisions for his patients. in my districts, thousands of seniors will lose medicare advantage coverage that serves them so well and saves lives. this bill is a shell game that picks winners and losers and does nothing to achieve real reform. the american people have

rejected this dangerous approach. true reform should be accomplished with bipartisan cooperation and not strong-arm tactics sm the only thing that is bipartisan is opposition to this flawed bill. we can and must do better. i urge my colleagues to vote no. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. the gentleman from california. mr. waxman: i yield to the gentlelady from virgin islands, ms. christensen. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. mrs. christensen: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks in strong support of the patient protection and affordable care act. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. waxman: madam speaker, i want to yield one minute to the the gentleman from michigan, mr. stupak, who who played an influential role in this legislation. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. stupak: i wish to engage the chairman in a colloquy.

prior to the debate, members on both sides of the abortion issue have maintained that current law should apply, current law with respect to abortion includes the hyde amendment. the hyde amendment and similar statutes to and have been the law of the land on federal funding of abortions on 1977 and applied to all other federal programs and all health care programs, including schip, medicare, medicaid, veterans health care, community health centers and federal employees health benefits program. the intent behind this legislation and the executive order the president will seib is to ensure that as provided for in the hyde amendment that there will be a ban on the use of federal funds except in instances of rape, incest and endangerment of life of the mother. mr. waxman: that is correct, the intent both the legislation and the executive order is to maintain a ban on federal funds

being used for abortion services -- i yield another 30 seconds, that are provided in the hyde amendment, nothing more, nothing less. mr. stupak: i thank the chairman and seeking the chairman's comment mit that this will continue. mr. waxman: this is an issue of great concern to the the gentleman from michigan and many others. you have my commitment to work with you and many others in the future. mr. stupak: thank you. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from texas. mr. barton: i have a parliamentary inquiry. it has been agreed to, i am told, by the parliamentarian and others that if i yield mr. sensenbrenner two minutes right now, it will come out of leader boehner's time. and i would like to -- the speaker pro tempore: the chair has been so advised. mr. barton: i yield mr.

sensenbrenner of wisconsin two minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. sensenbrenner: i have listened to this colloquy and frankly, it doesn't state the law. the proposed executive order, which i have a copy of, specifically states that nobody can enforce the executive order in any court. so the executive order is merely a piece of paper that certainly will not have any effect of law. earlier today, the gentlewoman from florida, ms. wasserman schultz was quoted on fox news saying, well it can't be changed by executive order because executive order can't be changed the law. but even on a policy question, president obama at a campaign rally when he was running for re-election, criticized the bush administration's excessive use of executive orders. congress's job is to pass legislation. the president can vito it or sign it.

executive orders are not part of this power. the president said, i'm not comfortable with doing something this significant through executive orders relating to trying terrorists in military commissions. finally, it is basic law as reiterated by the supreme court as late as 2006 in the case of ham den versus rumsfeld that an executive order cannot trump or change executive law. the executive order is a piece of paper and will have no force and no effect. if one is concerned about preventing the exchanges that are established under the senate bill that we will be voting on in a few hours, then the only thing that one can do is vote against that senate bill to preserve the hyde amendment from being expanded to programs that are created under the senate bill.

i'm sorry, but the gentleman from michigan and the gentleman from california have misstated the law. it is pretty clear. and even the president said it during the campaign and the gentlewoman from florida, ms. wasserman schultz said it on tv earlier today. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. waxman: i yield one minute to the the gentleman from new york, an important member of our committee, who has played an very important role in this legislation, particularly as it relates to his state and other areas as well, the gentleman from new york, mr. engel, one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york is recognized for one minute. mr. engel: madam speaker, i'm proud to be a member of congress that never as proud as i am tonight. tonight, we are finally going to pass comprehensive health care for the american people. my friends on the republic can -- republican side of the aisle say the bill is flawed. not once did they try to pass

health care. not even as they say we should do now. no longer when we get sick will the insurance companies say, sorry, we can't cover you. no longer if you lose your job or change your job, can you not keep your health insurance. you will be able to keep it. if you have a pre-existing condition, you won't be denied. if you are 26 years old, you can stay on your parents' policies. no annual cap or lifetime cap. we help seniors by closing the doughnut hole. we save money, c.b.o.-scored. everyone wins with this bill, but especially the american people. i'm proud that we are passing comprehensive health care. the current system is not sustainable financially and what we are doing means that everybody wins. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. barton: i was going to yield to mr. pitts, but i see you

standing there. i would yield 30 seconds to the the gentleman from oklahoma, mr. sullivan. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for 30 seconds. mr. sullivan: i would like to thank congressman barton for yielding me time. and higher premiums, higher taxes and cutting medicare is not health care reform. republicans care about health care, but we don't care for this bill. unfortunately, the white house and congressional democrats are still insisting on their massive, 2,700-page bill that includes higher premiums, $500 billion in higher taxes and $500 billion in cuts to senior medicare. my son who is here this week, tommy sullivan, can consider that that's not reform. the bill will cause millions of -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from california is

recognized. mr. waxman: madam speaker, i'm pleased to yield at this time, one minute to the the gentlewoman from colorado, ms. did he get and -- degette. the speaker pro tempore: the the gentlewoman from from colorado is recognized for one minute. ms. degette: when you build a house, you have to put down a foundation. today, we are laying a foundation for a health care system that will provide every american with access to high quality health care, a foundation that will immediately ban insurance companies from dropping people from coverage when they get sick, people like my childhood friend who lost his insurance when he got prostate cancer and later died too young, a foundation that will, beginning this year, give tax cuts to small businesses so they can offer affordable coverage to their employees, a foundation that will now give parents of young adults the ability to keep their kids on their policies

while they start their careers, a foundation that will finally give adults with pre-existing conditions the ability to buy affordable insurance. and starting right away, insurance companies cannot exclude children, like my own young daughter who has chronic conditions, such as diabetes or asthma, from coverage. madam speaker, this bill is just the foundation, we need to build on it. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman's time has expired. the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. barton: i yield one minute to one of our best pro-life leaders in the house of representatives, mr. pitts of pennsylvania, one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized for one minute. pitts pitts this bill violates -- mr. pitts: this bill violates the conscience of the american bill and should not spend more than we have. this bill is not reform and makes our existing entitlement

crisis worse. this violates the belief held by 70% of americans that money collected by the government should not be used to pay for abortion or abortion coverage. that's what the bill does. regardless of the colloquy, an executive order doesn't trump a statute. the government will end up paying for abortions. tax paying subsidies will subsidize insurance coverage that include abortion. the bill and the accompanying executive order turns over the protection. this extreme legislation is being forced on an unwilling nation and most pro-abortion bill, the largest expansion of abortion in our history. no member who votes for it will ever be able to claim again that they have always stood on the side of the unborn. this is a career-defining vote. there will be no backing down. i urge my colleagues to vote no. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. the gentleman will suspend. the house will be in order. members will please remove their conversations from the aisles and the back of the chamber. mr. waxman: i yield one minute to ms. capps who is an influential member of the health subcommittee. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. mrs. capps: we have been trying to redo health care for decades. reforming health care is not only the right thing to do, it's a matter of life and death for the millions of americans who today lack health coverage. it is critical for all who suffer diseases that could have been completely preventable or dealt with earlier had they had access to screenings. one thing our bill will now

guarantee no more co-pays for preventive screening for diseases like cervical cancer or heart disease. as decades -- after decades as a nurse, i know this is the most important thing we can do to help the hell of our families. and i underscore the importance of universal access to preventive care because this will improve the lives of millions of families and save us all m@@k@@ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @r >> my colleagues will vote yes. the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. >> can i inquire as to the time remaining on each side? >> the gentleman from texas controls 2 and 1/2 minutes and the gentleman from california controls three minutes.

>> i would like to yield 45 seconds to the to the woman from nebraska, the cornhuskers state, mr. terry. >> the gentleman from nebraska is recognized for 45 seconds. >> want all people to have access to affordable health care but this trillion-dollar tragedy is bad medicine. medical costs are high but this bill does nothing to help reduce costs. it does take $500 billion from medicare, resulting in cuts in service to seniors. it does raise taxes on many small businesses, including new mandates on businesses, and actually increase premiums as much as 13%. in committee, i introduced an amendment that gives people access to exactly the same care that we have as members of congress, but mr. markey and all the -- almost all the democrats voted against it, all the republicans voted for it. last, the clear language of this bill allows abortion --

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. terry: i encourage all members to vote against it. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california. mr. waxman: i'm pleased to yield one toin minute to the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. doyle who has played a significant role in bringing us together and has a great deal of responsibility for getting this bill to the point it is today. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. doyle: thank you, madam speaker. my office got a call today from mary ann ferguson, 91 years old from pittsburgh he asked me to vote for health reform because she wants everyone to get the coverage she has. she remembers before medicare, when half of our seniors worried about getting sick because they had no health insurance. today, millions of working americans fear getting sick because they don't have health coverage. one of those was bill kohler from garrfield, pittsburgh. his sister kitty said that bill was a loving and generous man to his friends, family, and

those in need. when he lost his job he lost his coverage. his new job as a pizza delivery driver earned too much to qualify for medicaid and private insurance wasn't going to cover his pre-existing heart condition, the very reason why he needed health insurance he died last year from a heart attack while driving home. so when i'm called to vote tonight, i will stand on the side of mary ann ferguson and bill kohler and the tens of millions of americans who need us to pass this bill. yes to health reform, yes to bill kohler. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expire. the gentleman from california reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognize. mr. barton: i'd like to yield for unanimous consent request to mr. rodgers of kentucky. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. rog -- mr. rogers: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks with regard to in flawed health bill. mr. barton: i'd like to yield

for unanimous consent request to the gentlelady from tennessee. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. mrs. blackburn: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks in opposition to this flawed bill. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. barton: i'd like to yield for unanimous consent request to mr. gingrey of georgia. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. gingrey: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks in the strongest opposition to this flawed health care reform bill. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. barton: madam speaker, i'd like to yield to unanimous consent to the gentleman from the pelican state, mr. scalise. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. scalise: i move to revise and extend my remarks against this health care bill. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. barton: finally, madam speaker, i would like to yield 45 seconds to another member of the committee, the distinguished mr. mike rogs of the great state of michigan. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for 45

seconds. mr. rogers: thank you, madam speaker. if this bill were so great, why the deception? i have never seen such behavior in my entire time in politics. if you like your health care, you can keep it, not true if you read the bill. 10 years of taxes, six years of services. they steal money from the social security trust fund and cut half a trillion dollars from medicare. not only that, madam speaker, but this pits one american against another in the cause of health care for the first time in our history. if you're a florida senior citizen, you get to keep medicare advantage. if you're from the other 49 states, you do not. there is dirty deal after dirty deal after dirty deal in the bill this house will vote on. it is a disgrace. it's wrong. america deserves better and i yield back the remainder of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expire. the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from california

is recognized. mr. waxman: i yield one minute to the gentlelady from illinois, a member of our committee and the health subcommittee, janice schakowsky, one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. ms. schakowsky: i want to express my profound thanks to the people of illinois' ninth district, the place i was born and lived nearly all my life for the privilege of being here tonight to cast my vote for this historic health care measure. my life's work has been to answer what is at bottom a moral question, will the united states of america continue to allow our people to lose their live, their homes, and their fundamental sense of security or finally decide that a proud and wealthy country like our has an ethical obligation to provide access to health care for everybody? is it even credible to think a country as rich as ours in so many ways can't afford to do this? i am so proud that today this house under the leadership of perhapses the most effective

speak for the u.s. history, nancy pelosi, will say to all those parents agonizing other a sick child who is now excluded from insurance coverage because of a pre-existing condition, sleep well. our courageous and visionary president, barack obama, when he signs law, that problem will end. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman's time has expired. ms. schakowsky: this is a great day for america. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman's time has expire the gentlewoman from illinois is rereminded to please heed the gavel. the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. barton: how much time do i have left? the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman has 55 seconds remaining. mr. barton: 55 seconds. i'm going to yield to the gentleman from texas, dr. burgess, 15 of those precious 55 seconds. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized for 15 seconds. mr. burgess: i thank the gentleman for yielding. it's really a shame we have this health care bill in front of us. we have provisions now for

17,000 new i.r.s. agents. but not $1 for a new nurse or doctor. you know what, you'll have access all right. but you may be getting your prenatal care from turbotax. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the house will be in order. the chair reminds all persons in the gallery they are here as guests of the house and that any manifestation of approval or disapproval of proceedings or other audible conversation is in violation of the rules of the house. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. waxman: madam speaker, for the purpose of unanimous consent request i want to yield to a member of our committee from the state of washington, mr. inslee. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for a unanimous consent request. mr. inslee: i ask unanimous

consent to revise and extend my remarks, in strong support for this american health care bill. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman will be charged. mr. weatherman: madam speaker for the purpose of unanimous consent request i yield to the gentleman from texas, mr. edwards. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. edwards: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks in opposition to this bill. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman from california. five seconds remaining. mr. waxman: at this time i yield one minute to the gentlelady from the state of wisconsin -- the speaker pro tempore: the speaker reminds the gentleman from california that you have 55 seconds remaining. mr. waxman: i yield the balance of our time to the gentlelady from wisconsin, ms. baldwin. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized for 55 seconds. ms. baldwin: thank you, madam speaker.

what this all boils down to is, whose side are you on? madam speaker i rise today on behalf of the 13,500 people in my district who will finally have access to health insurance because of this measure. i rise for the thousand families in south central wisconsin who will be protected from medical bankruptcy this year because of this effort. and i rise today because of the 539,000 constituents who will see their coverage improve because of the work we've done. madam speaker, i rise with pride and hope in the promise of this health care reform bill. there is no doubt that powerful interests have strenuously oppose red form and they've often resorted to tactics that could make no one proud. nothing can sully the pride i feel today in taking this critical step in providing health coverage for all americans. i worked my entire career to achieve health care for all. today we stand on the floor of

the people's house, ready to pass this bill. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman's time has expire. the gentleman from texas has 40 seconds remaining. mr. barton: i yield myself the balance of the time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. barton: madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. barton: madam speaker, this bill will not last. it is based on a fatal assumption that one party acting unilaterally can dictate the entire will of the american people on 1/6 of the economy that will not happen. it reignites the abortion debate. it is fatally flawed in its assumptions in terms of balancing the budget and deficit reduction and it will take away coverage from millions of people if it gets as far as 2014 and you kick in the option that puts all these mandates on employers.

please vote no. let's go back to start over, let's start from scratch and do a bill that everybody can support. vote no on this bill. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from michigan, mr. levin, is recognized for 15 minutes as the designee of the majority leader. the gentleman from michigan. mr. levin: thank you, madam speaker, i yield myself one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. levin: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. levin: we come to this floor for thousands of votes each year, but no single vote comes with so many personal stories. within our families and my own, in our district, people have spoken out about the need for real reform. the millions and millions delsh the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman will suspend. members and staff are reminded

to remove their conversations from the floor of the chamber. the gentleman deserves to be heard. mr. levin: thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan is recognize plsmed levin: the millions and millions who have health insurance now worry about losing it. the average premium for employer-based insurance is more than doubled in the last 10 years. i heard from a woman that had worked for a large company, started her own franchise, and she writes, i quote, i exhausted my cobra, then joined a group health plan. several years ago, hade open health surge -- open heart surgery. the insurance group disbanded, no insurance company would tump me with a 10-foot pole. i was just diagnosed with my second bout of breast cancer. i heard from a young man he was diagnosed with cancer, he was laid off, uninsured, when he started to get sick again he had to turn to emergency rooms

for care. i yield myself 15 additional seconds. republicans have turned their backs on the problem. some say health care reform makes us a different nation. today in the tradition of america we will pass health care reform, we will make beloved america a still better nation. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from michigan, mr. camp, is recognized for 10 minutes as the designee of the minority leader. mr. camp: thank you, madam speaker. i yield myself one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. camp: the american people have spoken. they do not want the tentacles of the federal government reaching into their lives and controlling their personal health care decisions. yet that is exactly what will happen under the democrats' health care bill. federal bureaucrats will be making your health care choices for you and your family and the i.r.s. will be enforcing them. the american people know you can't reduce health care costs

by spending $1 trillion or raising taxes by more than half a trillion dollars. the american people know you cannot cut medicare by over half a trillion dollars without hurting seniors and he american people know you can't create an entirely new government entitlement program without exploding the deficit. they're right. and the nonpartisan congressional budget office has confirmed it. confirmed it. simply put, the democrats' l&@@r the gentleman from michigan is recognized. mr. levin: it's now my real privilege to yield one minute to the distinguished the gentleman from new york, mr. rangel, who

has given decades and decades of service to this congress, to new york and to the people of america. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york is recognized for one minute. mr. rangel: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection.. mr. rangel: one of the lowest points in my political career was when i asked for a leave of absence from the chairmanship of the ways and means committee. i had thought at that time with my feeling of how important it would be for the entire nation to have access to quality health care, that i did not want to do anything or be anywhere to distract from our leadership, nancy pelosi, our leader, steny hoyer, or jim clyburn and the workers and dedicated staff to get out the first bill on this most important subject. and i am now, when people ask,

well, how do you feel and how are you today, i can report that this has been one of the most historic moments in my life, to be privileged to serve in this great body and to be a part of this legislation that i know that no matter how long anybody has been in this great legislative body, people will ask, which side have you been on? and thank god i'm on the right side. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from michigan reserves. the gentleman from mi3 the gentleman from michigan reserves. the gentleman from michigan, mr. camp, is recognized. mr. camp: i yield 45 seconds to a distinguished member of the ways and means committee, the gentleman from california. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. herger: the american people have spoken again and again. they do not want to spend nearly

$1 trillion on new government health care program paid by raising taxes and raiding the medicare trust fund. they don't want to force everyone to buy government-approved health insurance or subsidized health plans that cover abortions. and they don't want a 2,400-page bill riddled with back-room deals. madam speaker, americans are watching and know what's at stake. let's reject this destructive legislation. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the gentleman from michigan is recognized. mr. levin: madam speaker, i next recognize the distinguished the gentleman from georgia in terms of seniority. i would like to note that our colleague, mr. stark, is going to be submitting a statement to the record.

i'm now pleased to yield one minute to the very distinguished the gentleman from georgia, mr. john lewis. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia is recognized for one minute. mr. lewis: mr. speaker, this may be the most important vote that we cast as members of this body. we have a moral obligation today, tonight, to make health care a right and not a privilege. there are those who have told us to start over. there are those who have told us to wait and told us to be patient. we cannot wait. we cannot be patient. the american people need health care and they need it now. on this day, at this hour, stand with the american people and not with the big insurance companies. on this day, on this moment, in this chamber, answer the call of

history. answer the spirit of history and pass health care. yield the american people a victory. give health care a chance. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the house will be in order. the gentleman from michigan, mr. camp, is recognized. mr. camp: i yield 45 seconds to a true american hero, distinguished member of the ways and means committee, the gentleman from texas. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized for 45 seconds. mr. johnson: unanimous consent to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. johnson: today's vote defines what kind of america we want to live in. i know what that is, it's the america i fought and sacrificed for and all the freedoms we hold dear, freedom from a $2.6

trillion takeover of health care, freedom from skyrocketing taxes, freedom from bureaucrats coming between you and your doctor, freedom from medicare cuts to seniors, freedom from exploding debt, freedom from the government forcing you to buy health insurance. i ask my colleagues, what kind of legacy do you want to leave for your children and grandchildren? will you cave to the demands of speaker pelosi or listen to the pleas of the hard-working american people who elected you. join me in this fight for freedom. vote no. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from michigan, mr. levin, is recognized. mr. levin: it's now my privilege to yield one minute to the very distinguished the gentleman from massachusetts, mr. neal. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts is recognized. mr. neal: this is the most significant day, madam speaker. health insurance reform has been coming for a long time and we

are finally here. with passage of this bill, american families are going to take back control of their health care. this bars insurance companies from discriminating, it caps out-of-pocket expenses. half the bankruptcy are due to health-related matters. this bill allows individuals and small businesses to purchase affordable insurance from competitive marketplaces. it contains cost controls that will save $138 billion and for parents who are watching tonight, your dependents can stay on your insurance until 26. no one has defended social security and medicare the way i have. and i must tell you tonight, mr. speaker, i can't believe that anybody who is witnessing this debate would believe for one minute that our republican friends have been better in history on medicare than we have been. it's in our d.n.a. this is a defining moment. the solutionary and

discriminatory tactics that are in our system become history as well. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from michigan. mr. camp: i yield 45 seconds to the the gentleman from texas. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for 45 seconds. mr. brady: the government promises you health care. when forced to buy the government-approved plan or face the tax man, you comply. the costs didn't go down. it went up. it takes now three months to see a doctor. when you need care, the government plan denies it four times more often than your insurance company. now the government's short on money. they started rationing care. cutting hospital payments and withdrawing coverage and it has been three years since it all began. folks, this isn't a feature, this is massachusetts today. higher costs, lower care,

rationing. that's why massachusetts said no to obamacare, and america is saying no, too, because bigger government doesn't mean better health care. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from michigan. mr. levin: i would like to yield to the the gentleman from new york for a unanimous consent. >> i ask unanimous consent that the remarks i delivered at the american cancer society in east syracuse on tuesday of this week be submitted into the record in support of this historic health care reform bill. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. levin: mr. speaker, it's my privilege to yield one minute to the distinguished the gentleman from california for the purpose of a col key -- colloquy. oh, he's not here yet. mr. doggett, i think you are next, distinguished the gentleman from texas, for one

minute. the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. doggett: so very fearful of being held accountable, giant insurance monopoly has spent millions spewing out anger and fear. we have not seen such outlandish arguments since the forces that tried to block president johnson. for republicans, our bill is too long or it's too short. it's too thick or it's too thin. it's never just right, because their true answer to health insurance reform is never, never, never. our determined efforts should not be derided as a four-letter word, but you could certainly sum up our many, many pages with four words, you got health care. with this reform, every insured american gets valuable consumer protections. and every uninsured american can

become insured. 32 million americans protected from the risk of bankruptcy from health care. the bill restrains insurance premiums, reduces deficits. it has, but many americans -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the chair will remind all members to heed the gavel. the gentleman from michigan. mr. camp: i yield 45 seconds to the zwirbled the gentleman from georgia, dr. linder. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for 45 seconds. mr. linder: thank you, mr. speaker and i thank the gentleman from michigan yielding. 85% of america is insured. 95% of those people are happy with their insurance. but the other 15% uninsured, they consume 70% on average as much insurance as those who are insured. the lady in cleveland that has been referred to is being cared

for at the cleveland clinic. so what are we to do with the 15%? why not take over a 16% of the economy? $2.5 trillion program that will zry health care to the 85% who are happy to find health care for the 15% who are not insured. this has never been about health care. this is about government. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from michigan. mr. levin: i yield one minute to the very distinguished the gentleman from california, mr. thompson. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. thompson: i have worked for access for quality affordable health care since day one of the first day of my campaign. today with the passage of this bill, we will be closer to that important goal than ever before. when the president signs this bill into law, insurance companies won't be able to drop your coverage if you get sick.

kids won't be denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions. young adults will be able to stay on their parents' policy until they're 26. small business owners will be eligible for a tax credit. seniors will see the medicare doughnut hole start to close. and preventative care will be covered without co-pay. the bill is paid for and will reduce our debt. in my district, 63,000 uninsured residents will have access to coverage and will save my district $70 million. this bill is a great start toward health care reform and will help millions of americans afford quality health care. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan. mr. camp: i yield 45 seconds to the the gentleman from california, mr. nunes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for 45 seconds. mr. nunes: this debate is not about the uninsured, but about

socialized medicine. today we are turning back the clock. for most of the 20th century most fled the ghost of communist dictators and now you are bringing it back. with passage of this bill, they will haunt americans for generations. their bill continues the soviets' failed socialist experiment. it gives the federal government absolute control over health care in america. my friends, that is what this debate is really about. today, democrats in this house will finally lay the cornstone of their utopia on the backs of the american people. say no to socialism. say no to toe tall -- and no to this bill. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. levin: i yield one minute to mr. levin: i yield one minute to the chair of our caucus, the

>> the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> it is my honor to yield my time to someone who has always understood who's outside he is on, the gentleman from michigan. >> madam speaker, today, i stand for the people of michigan who lost their insurance when i lost their job. they have been dropped and the night coverage for pre-existing conditions or because they got sick. they are going broke because of their medical bills. i stand for the elderly in my district who fall for the doughnut hole and must choose between food or medicine. i stand for small businesses who beg for help. all these things will change with the passage of this bill. . . people's side. not on the side of the powerful special interests who have spent

millions to kill this bill. cutting through all of the deception, misrepresentation and lies i stand with the people. i urge you to do what's right and vote yes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from michigan. >> mr. speaker, i yield 45 seconds to a distinguished member of the ways and means committee, the gentleman from ohio, mr. tiberi. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for 45 seconds. mr. tiberi: mr. speaker, i'm for health care reform but not this version. this is a bad bill. it does nothing to address the cost of health care. this bill increases taxes on individuals and employers. it cuts medicare and adds debt to future generations. but don't take my word father it, mr. speaker, my hometown newspaper has published three editorials this last week against the bill, suggesting, and i quote, it is incredible that 1/6 of the u.s. economy and the health of every american could be subjected to massive government intervention based on such fiscal dishonesty and secrecy. mr. speaker this bill does nothing to reform our health

care system. it adds people to a broken system and i ask unanimous consent, mr. speaker, to add these three editorials to the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman from michigan. mr. levin: it's now my real privilege to yield to another member, an energetic member of our committee, mr. kind from wisconsin. mr. kind: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized. mr. kind: mr. speaker, i will never forget the pride i felt as a 6-year-old kid in wisconsin watching neil article strong walk on the moon. it was a deep and abiding belief that i live in a country that's capable of accomplishing anything once we put our mind to it. that belief is being tested throughout america today. people are wondering if we're stip capable of doing great things -- still capable of doing great things. i believe we can and i want my two boys to feel the same way. i believe our country by working together can ensure that all americans have access to quality, affordable and secure

health care regardless if they're young or old. whether they're rich or poor, and even whether they have a pre-depifting -- pre-existing condition. and we can do this in a fiscally responsible manner by paying for this bill and finding savings that will reduce the national deficit in future years. that national achievement can begin today, this evening, with our vote. i encourage my colleagues to support this health care reform for all americans and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the chair will note that the gentleman from michigan has 4 1/2 minutes remaining. and the gentleman from michigan has 6 3/4 minutes remaining. 6 3/4 minutes remaining. the gentleman from michigan. >> why doesn't the gentleman from michigan go forward so we can keep the time somewhat even? mr. levin: ok. it's now my privilege to yield one minute to our vice chair and the distinguished gentleman from

california, mr. about a sess a -- becerra. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. becerra: i thank the gentleman. mr. speaker, today is a day of history, today we will accomplish what 100 years of congresses could not, we will pass health care reform, not just for some but for all americans. today's also another day in america. that means that 123 americans will die today because they do not have health insurance. another 8,000 will lose their health insurance today and our health care system will cost all of us $6,800,000,000 this day and every day if we do not change, if we are content with doing nothing. john f. kennedy once said, change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future. i've heard it said another way. the only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery. today this house, the people's house, is full of life.

we will make history, but our sights are toward the future. to every hardworking taxpaying american we say today, we hear you, we see it in your eyes, you want control of your health care, you want to decide who your doctor is. you want to choose your health plan. we will deliver today to all of america. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from michigan. >> at this time i yield 45 seconds to a distinguished member of the ways and means committee, the gentlewoman from florida, ms. brown-waite. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from is recognized for 35 second disease -- the gentlewoman is recognized for 45 seconds. ms. brown-waite: democrats on the other side of the aisle believe that the american citizens can no longer be trusted to manage their own health care in the best way they see fit. you must now do things in their socialist way or face the wrath of the i.r.s. unfortunately the size of the federal government isn't the only thing that's going to grow as a result of this bill. so will your insurance premiums because the cost of insurance

will grow. that's right. the bill increases premiums for every american who has insurance. our national debt will grow. your taxes will grow. the only thing that won't grow are the benefits that the seniors who are in the medica