House Proceeding 10-15-09 on Oct 15th, 2009 :: 1:50:05 to 1:57:35
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1:50:02 to 1:50:23( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: and then when you hear their lobbyists, you will know to set that aside and stay on the side of patients, on consumers, doctors and all of us who are true health care re-- who want true health care reform. mr. ellison: i just want to say, as the gentlelady is offering her observations, it's reminding me that we are in a proficient moment in history. the fact is, we are at a moment in history, we're hearing the

1:50:05 to 1:57:35( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Keith Ellison

1:50:24 to 1:50:45( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: call of history. i wonder if the speaker knows, do you know that it was roosevelt, president roosevelt, franklin roosevelt, who first said we needed universal health care? it was nixon who talked about health care reform, although he did some things to undermine it. and it was, again, president

1:50:46 to 1:51:07( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: clinton who really worked hard to try to get health care reform. this it fight is decades in the making. we are closer than we ever have been. we have reported out five bills in the congress, reported out five bills in the congress and we're almost there, we're not far away. so the important that the american people hang in there,

1:51:08 to 1:51:28( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: that they continue to be hopeful and expect success and that it's important to understand that success breeds success. as we pass health care we will be able to really implement more policies that he working americans, help the working class, the middle class americans, help our environment, help us be a nation at peace

1:51:29 to 1:51:50( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: with the rest of the world, help us promote civil rights for all americans and to leave no one out, to exclude no one out, to stop policies of fear, of an exclusion and this is something that offers very, very great promise for our nation. and as i begin to wind down, i just want to make a few other observations and i think -- that

1:51:51 to 1:52:11( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: i think are very, very important. because i think it's so critical that we keep our focus on where it really should be and i'm one who, you know, believes that when a group of constituents vote a member to this auspicious body, that that personas

1:52:12 to 1:52:32( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: something to offe but i also want to say that elections have consequences. when you cast a vote and you send one party or the o represent you, you have the right to expect that that party is going to deliver and the democratic party, led by progressives, is delivering at this time.

1:52:33 to 1:52:53( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: i want to also say that new polls clearly underscore that the congressional party opposite is not in touch with the american people around health care reform. a new poll just released today further illustrates how republican leaders of congress are out of touch with the

1:52:54 to 1:53:14( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: american people. just this morning a leader in the party opposite says a public option has been resoundingly rejected by the american but look at the numbers that are coming out regarding the public option. on the wrong side of history. i recommend the rank and file,

1:53:15 to 1:53:37( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: come join the democrats passing health care reform. but as this new poll and others in recent weeks have all shown, americans support a public insurance option in health insurance and reform legislation. this new poll i mentioned says that 61% of americans support a public option.

1:53:38 to 1:53:59( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: the "wall street journal"/nbc say 37%. -- 37% support the puic option. the kaiser family foundation says 58% of the american people support the public option. other findings of the poll say that americans trust president

1:54:00 to 1:54:20( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: obama more than congressional republicans to handle health care reform. 47% to 31%. 64% of those surveys disapprove of the way congressional republicans are doing their job, including 42% of republican voters and it's important for republican voters to know that they have a choice and that they

1:54:21 to 1:54:42( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: should vote effectiveness, the people who are getting it done, not the people who had the white house and the house of representatives and the senate rom the year 2000 to 2006 and didn't do anything other than veto the state children's health insurance program, that's what they did. but people who within a few

1:54:43 to 1:55:07( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: months are already within the grasp of true health care reform. the fact is, ladies and gentlemen,, the fact is, mr. speaker, this moment in time is important. important -- it's as important as any other piece of legislation.

1:55:14 to 1:55:34( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: . this report is fundamentally flawed and clearly shows it is dishonest and deceptive and the drafters price waterhouse and coopers don't want to claim it. experts say it is wrong. we have heard about the death panels, false. we heard about the school sex

1:55:35 to 1:55:56( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: clics, false. we heard about government-run health care and socialism, falls again. we heard about immigrants taking over health care, false. and now the truth is really standing clear. crashing to the earth and we'll rise up. and it's important for american

1:55:57 to 1:56:17( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: to take heart, hope, to help support the passage of true health care reform and to understand that if we can pass health care reform and win this 60-year-plus battle, there are other mountains to be climbed and other things that can be

1:56:18 to 1:56:38( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: produced for the american people, that america can live out its progressive value system and say we are going to expand oportunity for more americans and not villify americans who happen to be of a particular racial group or not born in the united states or turn them into somehow the other but continue

1:56:39 to 1:57:00( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: to embrace more people as this great country has done progressively over its grea history and say we are going to live in harmony with creation and not use it as a fungible commodity to be burned and polluting the air. big things await the american people, but it's important that

1:57:01 to 1:57:18( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: we get over this last piece of true reform to get this momentum m so, mr. speaker, i will yield become at this time. progressive message and yield back.