Heath Care Perspectives

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, today I want to bring two very contrasting perspectives to the floor with regard to health care. One of them starts with an individual that we are all familiar with, and when he talks, people listen.

On March 1, 2010, Warren Buffett said:

I would much rather see a plan C that really attacks costs in regard to health care. And I think that's what the American public wants to see. The American public is not behind this bill. And we need the American public behind the bill.

Now, he has changed his position two or three times and it is hard to get a beat on exactly how he feels about ObamaCare, but when he talks, people listen. The problem is the people we need to hear from the most aren't being heard.

I got a letter from Christy in Jonesboro, in my district, and I'm going to share that letter with you today. It says:

As I was listening to the radio this morning, people were calling in about how ObamaCare is already affecting them. I just want you to know a little about our family.

My husband and I are 48 years old, have been married 29 years, and have three daughters, ages 16, 18, and 23--all still living at home, although the 23-year-old does work a full-time job.

My husband has been an auto-body mechanic for most of his life. This has taken a serious toll on his body as a result of strenuous physical labor paired with breathing chemicals. He has worked at numerous body shops--always looking for a better environment/pay/benefits. I will say, as a body man's wife, the people making good livings in this area are the body shop owners and the health insurance companies.

Every shop he ever worked at offered him health insurance, but the premiums were always around $200 a week just for him. There was no way we could afford $800 a month for something that may or may not happen.

Our family of five has rarely been sick. I have tried to practice preventative health care by what I feed my family because I'm positive a large percentage of health costs are due to diet.

My husband makes $500 a week, on average; my daughter makes a little over $300 a week. Our rent is $800 a month. Utilities run $200. We can barely afford the $47 liability insurance on my husband's vehicle. My daughter pays the $95 liability insurance on her vehicle.

We have barely been able to buy groceries, and I know how to shop frugally. We have no credit cards or expensive habits. We use the library a great deal. My question is: What will we do when we are fined because we don't have health insurance? There is absolutely no way we can afford health insurance for a family of five.

It is hard to go day by day watching what is happening with the government of this once great Nation. I am so discouraged and disappointed, and I try not to fear the future when it comes to the American Government, which will dictate my future regardless. Thank you for your time.

Respectfully, Christy in Jonesboro, Arkansas.

I want Christy to know, and I want everybody in America to know, that I hear you. Those guys that are driving the nails, those guys that are turning the wrenches, the nurses that are providing health care, the firemen who are doing their jobs working the 40-hour week, barely making ends meet, and we're piling more and more debt on this country--$1.3 trillion in additional costs, when Social Security and Medicare are nearing bankruptcy. It's unconscionable.

I want folks to know, certainly in my district and folks across the country, that there are people here that hear you. And we're going to work for you and try to fix this problem because we can't sustain this any longer.

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