Date: 2010-03-18
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I would like to thank our friend and colleague. Congresswoman WOOLSEY. for organizing this very important statement. historic statement. Women that come from all over America. Members of Congress who have no ax to grind. who have no representation of special interest other than the American people: we stand on this floor to answer our colleagues and those who have offered a negative perspective. all kinds of obstructions and poor commentary. Like an email I received blaming people for their obesity and diabetes. Yes. we need to be a healthier country. but does anybody realize that insurance companies would never provide for preventative care so that we could be tested and that we could learn to eat differently. to watch our diets? That is why this country spends more time wasting dollars on those who are sick. So I stand today to be able to say to all of the moms and nurturers who happen to be women that we have listened to your call. We have actually recognized that it is important to provide for preventative care. You know what you do. As we were raised by our moms and grandparents and aunts and uncles. they told us wipe our nose with tissues. wash our hands way before this whole concept has come with automatic hand washers and bottled water. They wanted us to be clean and to respect cleanliness. Why? It was a method of preventing disease. But we were sick anyhow. And when we got sick. we couldnt get to the emergency room. We couldnt get to a doctor. We couldnt get to a hospital because many times that required health insurance. So today for the women of America. for all of the women who have been denied insurance because of pregnancy. of a Csection. of issues that deal with womanhood. we now stand up and declare freedom with the passing of this bill. Now. Mr. Speaker. I might say to you that all that is in this bill I dont agree with. Frankly. Im concerned about the position being taken on physicianowned hospitals. many of them who have come and saved neighborhoods by opening up hospitals. declaring desert areas where rural communities had no hospitals. they came in and opened them up on innercity neighborhoods. We understand that all of them are going to be looking for longterm fixes down the road almost the same way when Medicare was passed in 1965. That wasnt a perfect system. but I can tell you that of all the lives of women that it has saved since its passage in 1965. for one. it saved the life of Ivalita Bennett Jackson. my mom. who now lives and lives enthusiastically with a love of life because of the resources that came about through Medicare. And she worked. So this is not a handout. So this bill. for example. is going to give women affordability. Its going to give women in States the opportunity to go into a health insurance exchange pool. pick the insurance that they need. Its going to give women the right of choosing. give women the right to have healthy bodies. Its going to focus the responsibility of insurance on employers. Its going to make sure that Medicare is strong. If youre an elderly woman. its going to close the doughnut hole for all of the insurance needs that you have. Its going to help my motherinlaw. E. Theophia Lee. who needs care as we speak. Its going to give her the opportunity to buy prescription drugs without going into the poorhouse. It is going to provide for an expanded Medicaid. and its going to work on our hospitals in our community. provide 100 percent Medicaid coverage in the first year. 95 percent. and then 90 percent. Mr. Speaker. this is going to open the doors of opportunity for community health clinics so that women can be engaged in preventative care. Women are nurturers. They need to be able to take themselves to doctors and their children to doctors at the same time. Thats what community health clinics will do. They will be set up in your neighborhood. They will have full service. geriatric care. pediatric care. and. yes. the care that will take care of women and their individual needs. Mental health parity will be in this particular bill so individuals who are concerned about mental health needs will not have to hide. cover themselves up. go in the dark of night or not even get the care that they need. It is going to be there in this bill. Theres going to be a demand for health insurance companies to cover mental health needs. What a new day this will be to be able to allow women to take care of their children. Let me remind you that there are stories all across America. The mother whose son died because he did not have health insurance. A young man who believed in giving help to other people. a young lawyer who gave pro bono work. but he died because he had no health insurance. Or the mother who came to my town hall meetings. was crying because she couldnt get her child into school. Why? Because her insurance didnt cover a doctors visit. Well. that will be cured. This is going to cure the ills of women across America. Vote for this bill.