House Proceeding 10-08-09 on Oct 8th, 2009 :: 1:47:50 to 1:58:40
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1:47:48 to 1:48:08( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: is why i'm on the bill, but a good medium solution is a strong public option and we've got to have people fighting for it. i yield to the gentleman. mr. conyers: more and more members of the congress are coming on our universal single payer health care bill. i'm very pleased about that.

1:47:50 to 1:58:40( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: John Jr.Conyers

1:48:09 to 1:48:31( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: and we in the judiciary, one of the subcommittees, we had a hearing about this ferguson bill that exempts from obligations, insurance companies and health insurance companies in

1:48:32 to 1:48:52( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: particular, and i received a letter, a nice letter, from the c.e.o. of the american health insurance plans, her name is

1:48:53 to 1:49:15( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: karen ignaci and she declined to be a witness, it's a subject we'll probay pursue later on. but i just checked in my little file of health insurance

1:49:16 to 1:49:37( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: executive compensation and this is public information, so i don't think she'd be offended by me discussing it here on the

1:49:38 to 1:49:59( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: floor, she compensation but she only got about $750,000 of that -- was in salary.

1:50:00 to 1:50:21( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: no, her base salary was $700,000. this is from 2007 filings. but she did also receive $170,000 in deferred compensation and a bonus. she probably works very long

1:50:22 to 1:50:44( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: hours. we conceived that. but we looked at others that we want to talk with, another

1:50:45 to 1:51:09( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: person that we're beginning the negotiations. we have to, all of us, come around the table and discuss these matters and let's take etna, one of the biggest, i presume. its distinguished chairman and

1:51:10 to 1:51:31( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: c.e.o. is mr. ron williams. mr. williams, i don't know what it is he does, but he -- his

1:51:32 to 1:51:55( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: income is $24 million -- $24,3 00,112. he has some heavy responsibilities. you don't make that kind of money. you know how many times -- much more money he makes than the

1:51:56 to 1:52:19( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: president of the united states? look, capitalism, a love story, i'm for capitalism. he earned a total of $24 million plus for compensation in 2008

1:52:20 to 1:52:40( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: with more than half of that, $13.5 million, coming from stock option awards. i don't know how that works. he also received $6.4 million in

1:52:41 to 1:53:02( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: stock awards to go along with his base salary which was only $1 million plus. but, in addition he has the personal use of corporate

1:53:03 to 1:53:25( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: aircraft plus a land vehicle, as well as financial planning and a 401-k company matches, added up to another $101,000 plus for mr.

1:53:26 to 1:53:46( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: ron williams. now, i send out -- sent out a friendly invitation for the head of etna to come before my committee to discuss the incredibly important decisions

1:53:47 to 1:54:08( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: involved in reforming health care in america. here's a person who has a lot of experience in the subject matters that are being debated in three committees in the house, two committees in the senate, heaven only knows how

1:54:09 to 1:54:32( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: many of the people in the white house are working on this, k street we know is fully occupied in this matter. we need to talk.

1:54:33 to 1:54:54( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: what about signa? that's another biggy. its c.e.o., he only makes half of what the c.e.o. of etna earns.

1:54:55 to 1:55:19( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: maybe he's not as efficient or mae he doesn't produce -- i don't know what it is. but with anybody -- would anybody object if we invited these folks in to discuss this? i mean, we have the unemployed, our colleague sheila jackson lee is going to have people coming

1:55:20 to 1:55:41( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: in tuesday at 5:00 next week to talk -- to tell their problems. but these are people that not only don't have income but they have huge debt. but i want to go from the other end of this.

1:55:42 to 1:56:04( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: mr. ellison, i sympathize with all those that are suffering, but i want to try to understand -- i've got to comprehend the view from the top with those who are not unemployed, who are not marginal, who are not lower income, not middle income,

1:56:05 to 1:56:26( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: they're wealthy. and so we have to extend these conversations both ways. what about the chairman and the c.e.o. of signa?

1:56:27 to 1:56:51( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: $12.2 million annual income. what about well point? mrs. angela bray is president and c.e.o., $9 dollar 8 million -- $9.8 million every year. what about pleasantry health care? president dale wolf, another $9

1:56:52 to 1:57:16( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: million. another insurancechairman, $8.7 million. james carlsson, chairman of amerigroup, $5.2 million. humana's presiden michael

1:57:17 to 1:57:37( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: mccalster, $4.7 million. the distinguished president of health net, $4.4 million. universal american chairman, $3.5 million.

1:57:38 to 1:57:58( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: steven helmsly, united health care, president and c.e.o., $3.2 million. look, i want to get the picture from the top. they could explain to us and maybe put into more perspective

1:57:59 to 1:58:21( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: why there's such a maldistribution of health care to everybody, because these are health insurance companies. if they don't know, i mean have a lot to tell us and i would like to hear them in their

1:58:22 to 1:58:41( Edit History Discussion )

John Jr.Conyers: own way and in their own words explain the situation because we've got big decisions to make. we don't just represent the poor and the left out and the marginal, we represent the whole country. when i cast the vote in the