Health Care Reform

Floor Speech

Mr. PENCE. The Democrat health care bill that is being brought through the Congress this week is nothing more than a government takeover of health care, and the American people know it. I know the administration doesn't like us to use that phrase, but come on. When you mandate that every American purchase health insurance whether they want it or need it or not, you mandate that every business provide it, you create a massive government-run bureaucracy exchange that mandates what is in insurance plans, you wrap that all in about $1 trillion worth of spending, that is a government takeover of health care.

But what is really remarkable about this whole business is that not only have the American people rejected this plan, but Democrats are so desperate to pass it that they are willing to trample on the traditional rules of the House and the Senate and even trample on the Constitution of the United States to get it done. The Constitution provides that a bill becomes a law if it has passed the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Democrats actually don't have the votes to pass the Senate bill, so they have decided they are going to try and pass the bill without a vote.

Well, that would be news to the Founders of this country and a betrayal of the commitment of every Member of this Congress to the American people. I urge the Speaker, if you have the votes for the Senate bill, bring it to the floor. If you don't, let's scrap the bill and start over for the American people.

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