Health Care

Floor Speech

Health Care

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, we are so close to achieving quality, affordable and accessible health care for all Americans.

If we were playing football, the team in support of consumer choice, the public option, is in the red zone, and we are determined not to go three-and-out as we've done for the last six decades. At last, we are going to take health care reform with a robust public option right across the goal line. Yesterday, the Senate Majority Leader helped ``move the chains'' when he inserted a strong public option in the Senate health care bill. This move down the field positions us one step closer to meaningful reform.

Now my colleagues in the House and I are keeping our offensive line strong in support of a robust public option, but it's time to score this touchdown for the American people, for the middle class, for working people and the young people, including those in the Hillside program at Central High School who bear the burden and brunt of this failed health care system.

The status quo is unacceptable and it's a losing strategy. Including a robust public health option is real consumer choice; it's the logical option to scoring the goal and achieving success.

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