ms. delauro. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized for a minute and a half and the house will be in order. the gentlewoman will withhold. lebs are asked to take seats, especially in the back. on both sides. the gentlewoman may proceed. ms. delauro: i rise in support of this historic legislation, arguably the most important vote we here today will ever take in this chamber. today fulfills a promise made 100 years ago by theodore roosevelt when he first called for comprehensive health care reform. it fulfills a promise made by franklin roosevelt made to our parents, grandparents, and great grandparents in 1944. president nixon also labored and lost on this national mission and president bill clinton, too, tried to climb this mountain. today, legislation builds on the great achievement for social security and medicare, those big changes that we all take for granted regardless of party and yes, they, too, were characterized as socialist government takeovers. today we have a chance to m

ms. delauro. >> thank the gentleman.the medicaid and medicare programs have worked, they worked for decades. chip, tricare, evidence system, other programs should not be sacrificed in the names of and ideologies that our republican friends tend to selectively apply. we've gone down this road before. essentially what you want to do with medicare is privatize it. this country rejected your direction on social security several years ago. they said flat know. they will once again reject what he wanted with medicare because today nearly all seniors have access to affordable health care and only 14% of our seniors live below the poverty line and that is because of social security and medicare and what you want to do with medicaid, it would be even worse come to take away from low-income seniors and their families. you know, the market has been devastating for people in this country. the insurance companies have taken folks over that are not going to like it we shouldn't buy it. let's make sure we don't. >> from queens time in

ms. delauro recognize for 10 minutes to. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i rise in objection to this motion. this amendment was a bad idea when it was included in our legislation last november. it remains a bad idea today. then as now the motion attempt to hold health care hostage to abortion politics. and ignores the language already in the bill prohibiting federal funds from being used to pay for abortion. and then as not it attempts at unprecedented overreach of women's basic rights. on this first point, it existed long before this particular amendment came up last november. and it currently exists in the senate version of this legislation as well. i will say it one more time. since for some reason too many of our colleagues have not gotten the message, or like congressman weiner, have willfully continued to refute falsehoods about it. other than the situations accepted by the hide language as has been the case for years now, no federal funds are used for abortion. or can be used for abortion in this health care package. i might add that this reaffirmat

ms. delauro: two weeks ago i went to dinner with my family. as we left the restaurant, a young woman stopped me and she said to me, rosa, can i talk to you for a moment? i have been rating for you. why didn't you come over to the table? she said i didn't want to disturb you and your family. no disturbance. i looked at this beautiful young woman with tears in her eyes and she said to me, rosa, i have lung cancer. . i have lung cancer and i cannot get the kind of help that i need. i can't leave my job because i will not be able to get insurance, pre-existing condition is killing me, pass health care reform. you don't know, melissa maratolli. i do. and her face harms me every single day. and this is not just one store eye. -- story. it is all across this country of people who can't leave their job, who can't get the care they need because the insurance companies have run roughshod over them. yes, they are ragging -- rationing health care in this country. i know where i stand. i stand with the melissa maratollis of this nation. the republicans sta