Health Care In America

Floor Speech

Mr. WEINER. You know, I would say to the American people who are watching the oncoming debate about health care that in many ways we already know what the two sides are--the Republic Party, the party that opposed the Medicare Act, opposed Social Security, opposed Medicaid. The Republic Party has made it very clear they're not only the Party of No; they're the party of ignoring the problems of the middle class and those struggling to make it.

The Democratic Party, the party that is producing this legislation, is the party that has again and again said, We're going to step up to the challenges facing this country.

Now, if you believe that we are spending just the right amount, that we're not spending too much money on health care, you're alone, because I think we're spending trillions upon trillions of dollars more than we need to. If you think that the hundreds of billions of dollars people are paying for out-of-pocket is just right, then you probably want the Republic Party's plan, which is to do nothing.

But the Democratic Party under the leadership of Frank Pallone and Barack Obama and others are saying, We're going to try to solve this problem. You know why? Because that's what we do. That's what Democrats do.

Now the Republic Party doesn't do that. They say, No, no, no. But we have a problem. If you want choice, if you want affordability, and if you want health care for your family, you're going to get it with the Democratic Party, not with the Republic Party.

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