Senate Proceeding on Nov 19th, 2009 :: 7:31:45 to 7:41:04
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7:31:24 to 7:31:45( Edit History Discussion )

Thad Cochran: mandatory fundi streams because it fundamentally weakens our ability to control federal spending at a ti greatly need to exercise that control. i hope my colleagues will keep this in mind as we proceed with

7:31:45 to 7:41:04( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Benjamin L. Cardin

7:31:46 to 7:32:07( Edit History Discussion )

Benjamin L. Cardin: the business before us. the presiding officer: the senator from maryland. mr. cardin: thank y, mr. president. shortly, we're going to have an forward and considering health care reform in this country, and i first want to thank the majority leader senator reid for putting together the bill that came out of our two committees

7:32:08 to 7:32:28( Edit History Discussion )

Benjamin L. Cardin: that accomplishes what i think are the three goals that we need to do in health care reform. i have been ask by the people of maryland whether i would sporadic bill, and i told them in order for me to vote for a bill, it has to do three things: first, it needs to bring down the cost of health care in america.

7:32:29 to 7:32:50( Edit History Discussion )

Benjamin L. Cardin: secondly, it needs to provide an affordable quality insurance option to every american, and third, it must be done in a fiscally responsible way. now, the bill that senator reid is bringing forward accomplishes those three goals. first, it brings down the cost of health care in america. about a trillion dollars. it does it by investing in prevention and healthy

7:32:51 to 7:33:11( Edit History Discussion )

Benjamin L. Cardin: lifestyles, by cracking down on fraud, waste, and abuse, and by eliminating unnecessary administrative costs in our health car system. that's the way we should bring down health care costs in america that will improve quality but bring down costs. secondly, this bill allows every

7:33:12 to 7:33:32( Edit History Discussion )

Benjamin L. Cardin: american to have access to affordable health insurance and health care. the congressional budget office estimates that the bill will reduce the number of uninsured in america by 31 millio we will be able to get 98% of americans who are in this

7:33:33 to 7:33:55( Edit History Discussion )

Benjamin L. Cardin: country legally citizens covered by health insurance as a result of this legislation. and then third, mr. president, this bill moves forward in a fiscally responsible way. by not only staying within our budget but actually reducing our budget deficit by $127 billion.

7:33:56 to 7:34:16( Edit History Discussion )

Benjamin L. Cardin: no new tax burdens on middle-income families. i'm particarly pleased that this bill will help middle-income families in america. mr. president, i know you have received letters from your constituents, i've received letters from my constituents that really tell us that the status quo is unacceptable for middle-income families in america.

7:34:17 to 7:34:37( Edit History Discussion )

Benjamin L. Cardin: let me just give you two examples of people who wrote me. i've got hundreds of letters from marylanders telling me that they cannot make rotundaer the status quo. -- cannot make it under the status quo. this is from the eastern shore, from a healthy, active 62-year-old woman. she plays tennis four times a week. she is not on prescription

7:34:38 to 7:34:58( Edit History Discussion )

Benjamin L. Cardin: medicines, has never had a major medical issue. she wanted to change her insurance coverage, she has insurance, but she wanted to go to a more affordable insurance plan for her family. she was denied coverage. why? because she had received counseling three yea earlier

7:34:59 to 7:35:20( Edit History Discussion )

Benjamin L. Cardin: due to a stressful family situation and because she had a slightly elevated cholesterol level. now, her cholesterol has been brought under control, taking over the counter medication, and she hasn't had counseling in over a year. she writes to me and how do i answer that? if i am considered a high risk, where does that leave maryland

7:35:21 to 7:35:42( Edit History Discussion )

Benjamin L. Cardin: residents who have serious health conditions or are on medication or requiring ongoing care? well, meg is absolutely right. the bill that the leader is bringing forward will deal with middle-income families such as meg by telling health insurance companies that they cannot participate in such discriminatory practices by restricting on pre-existing conditions.

7:35:43 to 7:36:03( Edit History Discussion )

Benjamin L. Cardin: in fact, meg doesn't have pre-existing conditions, but they're using that to dy her full coverage. earlier this week, cynthia and eric catcart came to washington, came to this capitol to tell us their stories. i must tell you, i was shocked to hear their circumstance. here a two individuals who are

7:36:04 to 7:36:25( Edit History Discussion )

Benjamin L. Cardin: selfemployed trying to make it. they have two children and they're trying to get along. i tell you, when eric told us that he is basically giving up on his business, is going to have to work for a larger company because he can't afford health insurance. and cynthia, who is a piano instructor, tells us the same story. listen to this.

7:36:26 to 7:36:46( Edit History Discussion )

Benjamin L. Cardin: here's a husband and wife, two children, and they can't get an insurance policy to cover their whole family because of the pre-existing condition restrictions. this is a small business owner that's going to literally have to give up their businesses. now, today they have two separate insurance plans, one for the husband and the child, one for the wife and the child,

7:36:47 to 7:37:07( Edit History Discussion )

Benjamin L. Cardin: because that's the only way they can get it. they have to pay two separate deductibles because they couldn't get an insurance company to cover the whole family. and the amount of money they are paying for health insurance is prohibitively expensive. well, the status quo is not acceptable for the katcarts and shouldn't be acceptable for any of us. under the health care bill that the leade is bringing forward,

7:37:08 to 7:37:28( Edit History Discussion )

Benjamin L. Cardin: those discriminatory practices by private insurance companies would be prohibited, and the catcarts would have an option of a lot of different plans they could choose from to cover their entire family without separate deductibles for different members of their family. well, that's the type of health care reform we need that will help middle-income families in

7:37:29 to 7:37:50( Edit History Discussion )

Benjamin L. Cardin: america. it will help middle-income families by bringing down the costs of health care. the cost of health care in america is growing at way too fast of a rate. ten years ago in maryland, it cost an average family about about $6,000 for health insurance. maybe their employer paid part, maybe they paid part. today that's $12,000 a family.

7:37:51 to 7:38:11( Edit History Discussion )

Benjamin L. Cardin: by 2016, it will be $24,000 a family if we don't take action. we need to help middle-income families. we need to move forward with health care reform. the average family in maryland today is paying $1,100 per family for the costs of those who don't have health insurance. those that have heal insurance are paying for those who don't

7:38:12 to 7:38:33( Edit History Discussion )

Benjamin L. Cardin: have health insurance. that's why the bill the leader is bringing forward that will cover 98% of americans are going to help middle-income families by eliminating that hidden tax of $1,100 per family in maryland and around the country. health care costs is growing three times faster than wages are growing in america.

7:38:34 to 7:38:55( Edit History Discussion )

Benjamin L. Cardin: inact should not be an option. for small businesses, the situation is very dire. they're spending 20% more than a comparable company that does the same business that's larger. just as stressful, they can't predict what the annual premium increase is going to be, which means how can you run a business without knowing what your costs are going to be from one year to another? for the sake of small

7:38:56 to 7:39:17( Edit History Discussion )

Benjamin L. Cardin: businesses, we need to move forward with health care reform. a lot of families in maryland depend upon medicare. a lot of middle-income families in maryland depend upon medicare. this bill will strengthen medicare by dealing with the underlying costs of health care by getting that under control. at the same time we protect medicare for the future, we

7:39:18 to 7:39:39( Edit History Discussion )

Benjamin L. Cardin: provide additional benefits for our seniors by starting to close the doughnut hole, getting prescription drugs more under control and providing preventive care to our seniors. this legislation will help middle-income families by dealing with insurance reform to eliminate pre-existing conditions, to provide larger

7:39:40 to 7:40:00( Edit History Discussion )

Benjamin L. Cardin: pools, to offer more choice for middle-income families. mr. president, this legislation will help workers who work for small companies, will help those people in our community that have pre-existing conditions, will help those people in our community who are changing jobs, will help those in our community who depend upon medicare. this is legislation that is

7:40:01 to 7:40:25( Edit History Discussion )

Benjamin L. Cardin: critically important for middle-income families in america. the status quo is unacceptable. we need to act and we're going to have a chance to do that when we vote saturday on proceeding with health care reform. i urge my colleagues to move forward on this vital legislation for america. and with that, mr. president, i would yie the a senator: mr. president? th

7:40:26 to 7:40:47( Edit History Discussion )

Benjamin L. Cardin: distinguished senator from utah. mr. bennett: mr. president, i have enjoyed listening to my colleague from maryland. he says to us repeatedly the status quo is not acceptable, and i agree with that. i would point out to him that the bill that has been presented to us by the majority leader guarantees that the status will remain quo until 2014. this bill delays

7:40:48 to 7:41:04( Edit History Discussion )

Benjamin L. Cardin: until 2014, four years the status mr. cardin: will my colleague yield on that? point? mr. bennett: pardon me? mr. cardin: will my colleague yield? mr. bennett: i would be happy to yield. mr. cardin: a lot of the conditions are dealt with