Oct. 15, 2009 - Senator Roland W. Burris (IL) joins his colleagues on the Senate floor to debunk myths about healthcare reform and advocate for a public option (for more information, visit www.burris.senate.gov).
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Full text of remarks, as the appear in the Congressional Record:
Mr. BURRIS. Mr. President, to my colleagues who are making this presentation on behalf of the people on health care, it is my pleasure to join them and speak briefly about what will take place if we do not pass, as part of insurance reform, a public option. When it comes to health care reform, we have all heard the myth that a public option would amount to a government takeover of the health care system. This is completely false and has no basis in the legislation under consideration by the Senate. Let's examine the facts: 45,000 Americans die each and every year because they do not have health insurance and cannot get quality care. That is 1 death every 12 minutes. Clearly, the system is broken. The time for action is long past. I believe we need to restore choice and accountability to the health care system. The only way to accomplish this is with a public option. It would increase the availability of care. It would help fight the disparities that plague our current system. At the moment, people of color represent half of the Nation's uninsured, even though they make up only a third of the total population. A low-cost public option would meet the needs of these who are at a disadvantage, regardless of background or skin color. The public option would restore competition to a market that is currently monopolized by only a few corporations. Take my State. In the State of Illinois, two companies dominate 69 percent of the insurance market. That is why their profits are growing four times faster than wages. This is unsustainable. It is breaking America's businesses and bankrupting American families. We talked about businesses earlier. My colleagues mentioned what this will do for small businesses. We must make sure there are choices for them to have an exchange where small businesses can shop for their insurance. If these companies have to compete with a public plan, everyone's premiums will go down. It will bring about competition in the marketplace. If you like your current insurance providers, nothing will change except that you will save money, and you won't have to worry about losing coverage when you need it. No government bureaucrat will alter your insurance plan, your doctor, or the level of care you receive. But if you can't afford insurance or your coverage has been denied due to a preexisting condition, you will be able to get quality care at an affordable rate. Just like any business, a not-for-profit public insurance option would require initial capital to get off the ground. But afterwards it would rely on the premium it collects to remain self-sufficient. The current system is a drain on American taxpayers. The public option would not be. The public option would complement private insurance providers, not drive them out of business. In fact, it will result in an increase of 1 to 3 million additional customers for private companies. In other words, by bringing all those persons into coverage, insurance companies will benefit when all these uninsured people will now be covered. There will be no government takeover, no death panels, no rationing, and no redtape between you and your doctor. It is time to reject these myths and to take decisive action. The only way to achieve meaningful health care reform and bring costs down is through a public option that creates real competition in the system. Let it be clear to all of my colleagues in this august body: I will not vote for any health care bill that does not include a public option. I yield the floor.
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The People Need The Same, Health Care. As The People Thay Elect.......
stringlov 9 months ago
I had to put on my deep boots for this one.
hxz2845 2 years ago