Congresspersons Speak Out For Universal  
HC And HCR 99 On House Floor

On July 11, Rep. Tammy Baldwin (WI), together with her colleagues Jim McDermott (WA), Barbara Lee (CA) and Julia Carson (IN), took the floor to discuss the situation of the uninsured in our nation and the urgent need for universal health care. They expressed their support for the Health Care Access Resolution (HCR 99) and various approaches to achieving a system of health care for all.

Rep. Baldwin ended with the following impassioned remarks:

" In just a few decades, we have put astronauts on the moon, we have created a global village united by computer technology, we have perfected travel from one end of the world to the other in mere hours, and yet 40 million of us cannot afford or cannot get health care. And there are tens of millions of Americans who have lost faith in this system, lost faith that comprehensive, quality health care will be available to them without a struggle when they need it, where they need it, and from whom they want it.

" My colleagues, it is time to put health care for all at the top of our national agenda. Many people have called for it and many more believe it should happen.  But universal health care will never happen until we create the national will to make it so. We know that if 40 million uninsured people found their political voice tomorrow, and spoke as one and demanded universal health care, that we would have it.

"Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in helping them find their voices. The voters in my district are tired of hearing "we cannot." They reject the cynicism of the naysayers and the keepers of the status quo. I ask these naysayers if you are not for health care for all, who would you leave behind? If you agree that everyone should have health care and affordable access to quality comprehensive health care, then let us talk about the best way to achieve that. That is why we are here tonight. Together we must reignite the debate about extending quality, affordable, comprehensive health care to everyone in our country."

For the full text of the 60 minutes of speeches, go to:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?r107:21:./temp/~r107V5zccL:e0: