House Proceeding 10-08-09 on Oct 8th, 2009 :: 1:25:40 to 1:34:05
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1:25:37 to 1:25:57( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: they simply are scaring people to the point where they're not thinking clearly about what's going mr. ellison: scare tactics. let me yield to the gentleman from michigan, chairman conyers. chairman conyers, welco to the floor, to the progressive hour, the progressive message. patients before pro mr. conyers: i'm so glad that we're doing this.

1:25:40 to 1:34:05( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: John Jr.Conyers

1:25:58 to 1:26:21( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: and i'm glad to be with both of you. dr. mcdermott has been working on this for so long that he brings a clear voice of experience, not congressional but medical, and that's what makes this so important.

1:26:22 to 1:26:43( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: and, of course, you, mr. ellison, have been a young person who's jumped into this in a way that makes me very proud that you grew up in detroit and i'd like to claim some --

1:26:44 to 1:27:06( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: mr. mcdermott: he moved away. mr. conyers: we did something that just came in from th14th congressional district in northwest detroit and here's what it was. we had an examination of how many seniors in my congressional district hit the doughnut hole

1:27:07 to 1:27:28( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: in the current legislation. there were 5,400 seniors that were forced when they hit that donut hole to pay their full drug costs, despite the fact that they have part d medical coverage. and the current bill before us

1:27:29 to 1:27:53( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: that we're working on, h.r. 3200, it would cut brand name drug costs in the donut hole by half and ultimately eliminate the donut hole. that's very important -- especially in this day and age.

1:27:54 to 1:28:15( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: we found that there were 2,230 health care-related bankruptcies in my congressional district alone. and our next special order i'm going to have these same numbers for the whole state of michigan. 2,230 people in the 14th congressional district had to go

1:28:16 to 1:28:36( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: into bankruptcy court in the year of 2008. primarily csed by the cost of health care not covered by their insurance. in 2008 health care provide the district were provided $31

1:28:37 to 1:28:57( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: million worth of uncompensated care, care that was provided to individuals who lacked insurance coverage and who were unable to pay their bills. .

1:28:58 to 1:29:21( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: how many people who don't have health care in the 14th district. these are last year's figures because they have undoubtedly gone up. 103,000 people in my district are uninsured. how many are uninsured, my colleagues, in your district?

1:29:22 to 1:29:44( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: that's 17% of all the people in the district are uninsured. and the congressional budget office estimates that 97% of all americans will have insurance coverage if 3200 takes effect.

1:29:45 to 1:30:05( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: now if this benchmark is reached in the district, 85,000 people who currently do not have health insurance will receive coverage. now, there's another fact i would like to introduce and i haven't discussed it with you, but this is as good a time as

1:30:06 to 1:30:28( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: any to do it. you know, there's a stress factor coming into this whole discussion of health coverage in america because there are all the people that we are finding that are losing their jobs, especially in michigan and ohio,

1:30:29 to 1:30:50( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: industrial states hit hardest. we have the highest unemployment rates. but there's something else that kicks in. when you lose your job, you, of course, lose your income. and frequently, if you have a mortgage payment, you could end

1:30:51 to 1:31:12( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: up losing your house. and one of the things, dr. mcdermott, i wasn a shelter in midtown detroit and both of you

1:31:13 to 1:31:36( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: have been there at peterborough. they were having breakfast and i was astounded by this one visual pictur i got. these areot people that were

1:31:37 to 1:31:58( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: homeless, wandering, but well-dressed people being fed in a shelter who had just recently lost everything. when you get hit, you lose your house, your car, your job, your insurance, your pension and so

1:31:59 to 1:32:19( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: you come into a shelter, you're dresd like wer but you don't have anywhere to eat, you don't have anywhere to stay. and i never experienced that before in my life. and one other factor that is up

1:32:20 to 1:32:43( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: to date and in real-time. and that is with all the people suffering under this economic -- well, it's called a severe recession, but i call it a depression, there are people now

1:32:44 to 1:33:07( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: that are working who had jobs, who had health insurance, but there's a little something beginning to bother them. maybe this could happen to me, too. they all know -- we all know of people who were going along quite well and all of a sudden

1:33:08 to 1:33:29( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: the company announced at 3:00 p.m. on friday that you dn't have to come back anymore or we're closing down in two weeks. sorry about that. we can't explain it now, but this is it. and there are people now -- and

1:33:30 to 1:33:51( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: you may be able to comment on the stress factor, that people that are working, nobody said they were going to close their job down. nobody heard any rumors about anything. but they can't help but think about all the other people that were going along smoothly and they lost their jobs.

1:33:52 to 1:34:06( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: and people are beginning to worry about the fact that i know it's not me. i know i'm working. i know i've got insurance, but it could be me next month.