Medicare Access and Chip Reauthorization Act of 2015
Floor Speech
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman.
We rise today. Really, this is not so much a doc fix as a senior fix. And while our lives are usually defined by wins and losses, I would think that really in our lives we remember the losses far more than we remember the wins. And the reason I say that is, I have been there for the birth of my four children, and I have celebrated the birth of our 10 grandchildren. Those are great moments. But I have also sat by the bedside of my mother, my sister, and my father as they lay dying and were transitioning
Those losses are things that you can never truly regain. Those are the times when, if you just had 1 minute left with those folks, wouldn't you love to have that? Wouldn't you love to be there with them to give them peace of mind? This bill gives them peace of mind, Mr. Speaker. That is what this bill does. This is a senior fix.
I will tell you, when I have watched people as they have passed--both friends and family--what they have wanted at their bedsides at that time is to have their faith with them so that they know they are surrounded by their God, so that they know that where they are going is best, and so that they know that somehow their futures are going to be okay.
They also want the comfort of knowing that their families are there with them, helping them to get through the toughest parts of their lives, when they are at their most vulnerable, whenever they need the most help.
Lastly, they want their doctors. They want to know that that person who has guided them through the last several months and through their lives--the person they have always gone to for their health care--is going to be there and is not going to be taken away because of some government program that didn't work.
I would say, as we sit in America's House, whether we are Republicans or Democrats--and our gallery is filled with people--we are people who are representing people and the best interests of people.
This piece of legislation today is truly a senior fix, but it is a fix for the most vulnerable. I can think of nothing that we could do that is more important than giving peace of mind to those who have given so much to us as families, as States, and as a country. This is a brilliant piece of legislation.
While it may not satisfy all, it serves the needs of so many.
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