Congressional Record—House H11279
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October 13, 2009 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H11279 So there are still a lot of good things that responsibility here to enable all that sit in these court cases, we spend being worked on. This bill gets better families in this country to have access our time making sure people’s rights and better by the day, and I believe we, and to be able to afford quality health are protected. And we have a whole se- again, are at a historic point here and care. ries of cases that establish rights of we are going to be able to just provide Thank you so much for bringing us criminal cases. Enough of you have stability and security to this country together, Representative PINGREE. watched television to know a lot in terms of our health care. And, to Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Well, thank about—we’re some of the most edu- me, we have to continue to sharpen our you to all my colleagues for being here cated, nonlawyers in the country, the pencils, as Representative TONKO says, tonight. You’re absolutely right. We’ve folks who watch television in the and continue to find ways to save with talked about a variety of issues, and I United States, because we know about this bill and also to provide even better want to just end on the same note that Miranda rights. So we know about care for citizens of all ages. you did. This is what is right about other rights. In other countries maybe Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Absolutely. being an American and what we’re all they don’t know about them. Now, why Representative KILROY, were you proud to be working on, even if it takes wouldn’t they know about them? Be- hoping to squeeze in a few last words? a few long hours and a lot of tussling cause they don’t have them, okay. Ms. KILROY. Well, I think this bill is back and forth, but we’re all grateful That’s it. They don’t have them. an opportunity for us to make health to be here and actually to have this op- And there are places on this Earth, care affordable for all Americans, in- portunity. and most of them are in Third World cluding seniors who’ve been made to countries, where the rule of law does f fear this bill. As Representative TONKO not prevail, where the average citizen said earlier, helping them by closing b 2115 doesn’t have a place to go get recourse, recourse for injury that’s happened to the Medicare doughnut hole, helping RESTORING THE RULE OF LAW them by eliminating copays for pre- them in some form or fashion, a way to ventative services and testing and The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. enforce a contract. helping to make sure that there are MAFFEI). Under the Speaker’s an- There are countries full of good peo- lots of Medicare providers out there, nounced policy of January 6, 2009, the ple, but they haven’t established the because we are stabilizing the payment gentleman from Texas (Mr. CARTER) is rule of law to the extent that the aver- schedule for those providers. recognized for 60 minutes as the des- age citizen can protect their little plot This bill will help us by shifting the ignee of the minority leader. of land or protect their little business emphasis more onto prevention and Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, it’s the or make a deal with somebody, a con- wellness, the way Representative first day of a new work week here, and tract, and then when the other side DAHLKEMPER talked about putting we’re going to talk about restoring the doesn’t do it, enforce that contract more emphasis on primary care and rule of law. against them because the rule of law doing that by shifting the way some of You know, we’ve talked about this does not prevail. For whatever reason, the payments are set up so that pri- now for about 14 weeks. It’s so impor- whether it be history or culture, what- mary care doctors are paid for what tant that we talk about the rule of law ever it is, it doesn’t prevail. And so if a rich person or a wealthy they do so well, for counseling, for lis- because, quite frankly, it’s what keeps group of people who wanted to go in- tening, for taking that history and our society together. It’s what makes vest in that place or maybe they have helping keeping us well and treating us different from anybody else and a dictatorial system or they have a so- those concerns that we all have from what makes America different from ev- cialist, communist system that hasn’t time to time. erybody else. And, you know, it’s so established a rule of law, so you can’t This bill will help us contain costs, simple that we take it for granted. Every American that—I’ll bet you go enforce it. help small and large business, help peo- You know, when Russia first opened ple who are without insurance and help can stop anybody on the street and ask them about their rights and they all up and started working on capitalism, people with insurance. And as Ameri- I had a friend who went over there and cans, this is an American plan. It’s know what their rights are because they’re Americans and they know they opened a clothing store. And if he’s lis- very important. It will continue to give tening, he knows who I am talking us a choice of doctors and plans. So have rights. But what does it mean to have rights? Well, what it means is you about. And he said the problem was the this is a huge achievement if we can clothing store was as popular as it have a place, you have a set of rules get this bill passed. It is a great time could be and everybody wanted to buy that establishes your rights. to be in Congress, be a part of this won- American-cut suits, they wanted to Now, our Constitution says certain derful discussion and deliberations and, look like Americans, prosperous Amer- rights are inalienable and given by I hope, eventually final passage of a icans, and he had a booming business; your Creator. That means that all men bill that will do so much for so many but unfortunately he had to pay cash are born with those rights. These are people in our country. for everything. Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Representa- rights of liberty and freedom. When we He couldn’t make a contract with tive TONKO, any last words? had the Declaration of Independence somebody based on a bill of lading or Mr. TONKO. Just a quick statement. from Great Britain, that’s what we anything like that at the time because I know we’re running to the end of our were talking about. You’re born with he wasn’t sure he’d be able to enforce it hour. these rights. These are the rights of if he had to take it to court. He was Representative DAHLKEMPER talked free men everywhere. They are inalien- afraid he would be out on a limb. And, about the concern at her local hospital. able. They are given by the great Cre- quite honestly, he pointed out the Rus- Across the board, hospitals are con- ator of the universe. sians were doing the very best to cor- cerned, and uncompensated care is at But everybody also knows I’ve got a rect that, and maybe they have. I somewhere between $57 and $58 billion right to free speech, I’ve got a right to haven’t kept up with it. But it was put- a year. There’s a savings immediately assembly, I’ve got a right to a lawyer. ting a real strain on his national cloth- when we put together quality health And at all ages you can say, That’s my ing chain that he tried to take to Rus- care programs that are affordable, ac- right. That’s my right. It is your right, sia. cessible, where we’re providing uni- but it becomes your right because it is I hope he fixed it. I don’t know. I versal health care. It’s just a reason- enforceable, and that means that we haven’t talked to him in years able thing to do, and most impor- have established a set of rules that our But the point is at the beginning of tantly, it’s the compassionate thing to society operates under. And under the establishment of capitalism in the do. Sometimes that gets lost in the dis- those rules, there’s a set of rules that’s former Soviet Union, in Russia, the cussion. usually in the courts that enforce your rule of law had not come down to There’s this moral compass for Amer- rights, protect your rights. where you could feel comfortable with ica that we need to engage and we obvi- You know, for 20 years I tried crimi- making contracts with people and be- ously are very proud to support what is nal cases and other cases, and we spend lieve they could be enforced. And hope- the correct thing to do, and we have most of our time, at least the judges fully that’s been fixed. I would assume VerDate Nov 24 2008 03:55 Oct 14, 2009 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00105 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K13OC7.087 H13OCPT1 jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with HOUSE H11280 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE October 13, 2009 it has because I had the good pleasure cern to the American people today, and BOEHNER to defund ACORN.