Insurance

Hoosiers should have access to public website with complete legislative language, official cost estimates

November 9, 2009 -- Washington – Following this weekend’s passage of health care reform legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives, Senator Evan Bayh called for full transparency as the debate moves to the Senate so Hoosiers can see the specifics of the legislation and evaluate the cost estimates.

“There is a lot of cynicism about Washington, D.C., these days, and regrettably a lot of it is justified,” Bayh said. “If you do things behind closed doors, it just feeds that cynicism. I hope there is no disagreement that the public has the right to know, to understand, and to see how their tax dollars are being used and their health care is being affected.”    » read more »

Top 10 Ways NYC Benefits from Health Care Reform

11.08.09 -- New York City – Today, Representative Anthony Weiner (D – Brooklyn and Queens), a member of the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee and Co-Chair of the Caucus on the Middle Class, released a new study on the impact of the health reform bill which passed the House of Representatives late last night on New York City.    » read more »

11.07.09 -- Washington, DC – Representative Anthony Weiner (D – Brooklyn and Queens), a member of the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee and Co-Chair of the Caucus on the Middle Class, released the following statement on the passage of the House health care reform bill:

"About five and half months ago I said I believed that the coming few years in Washington were deeply important, and a time when ideas could matter.”

“I stated my commitment to working in Congress to take full advantage of this progressive era to pass important legislation. That decision meant I did not run for an office I have dreamed of, and one that recent events show was more open to contention than critics admitted.”    » read more »

Floor statement

11.07.09 -- “There are honorable people on both sides of this debate, but there are moments that come along and they come along about every generation or so that make it clear why this side of the aisle are Republicans and why we're Democrats. In 1935, when there was the Social Security Act and we decided we weren't going to allow 30percent of seniors to slip into poverty, Democrats proposed, Democrats passed, Republicans opposed Social Security.”    » read more »

November 9, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC -- Congressman Mel Watt (12th District of North Carolina) made the following statement about today’s House vote on the Affordable Health Care for America Act:

“Today the House took a historic step by passing the Affordable Health Care for America Act. In my seventeen (17) years of representing the constituents of the 12th District of North Carolina in the House, health care reform has been an unfulfilled dream as Congress continued to kick the can down the road providing no real reform for the American people. Passage of this bill begins the process of reforming our nation’s health insurance system and ensuring access to affordable, quality health care for all Americans.    » read more »

Washington, DC, Nov 9 -- Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-35) cast the decisive vote in favor of the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962), historic legislation to provide affordable quality health care for all Americans. The legislation required 218 votes to pass the House of Representatives, and Congresswoman Waters was the 218th vote for the bill late Saturday night. (Following her vote one more Democrat and one Republican also voted in favor of the legislation to make the final tally 220-215.)    » read more »

November 7, 2009 -- Washington, DC –The U.S. House of Representatives today passed H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, by a vote of 220-215. U.S. Representative Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) applauded the legislation. The following is Velázquez’s statement:

“For too long, millions of Americans have suffered without access to the medical treatment they need. Right now, too many Americans worry about how they will find health care coverage if they lose their job. On this day alone, 14,000 Americans will lose their coverage. And millions of our citizens, including one in three Hispanics, lack health insurance coverage.    » read more »

November 7, 2009 -- WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Edolphus “Ed” Towns (NY-10) issued the following statement today, following the House of Representatives’ passage of H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act.

“I proudly joined my colleagues today in voting for the Affordable Health Care for America Act. This monumental legislation makes good on Democrats’ commitment to treat health care as a fundamental human right. In voting for this bill today, Congress took a meaningful step forward towards delivering on America’s promise as a just nation that upholds our peoples’ rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.    » read more »

11/09/09 -- “The House of Representatives stood up to the fear-mongering and misinformation and passed a historic health care reform bill that has been sixty years in the making. This issue is a big part of why my constituents sent me to Washington and I am proud to have been able to cast a vote to address our nation’s health care disparities and expand access for all Americans."    » read more »

Washington, Nov 7 -- Congressman David Scott made the following statement today about his vote for the Affordable Health Care for America Act:

"It’s easy to criticize and just say no. But doing nothing about the high cost of health insurance is totally unacceptable. I chose to rollup my sleeves and go to work for the worthy cause of affordable healthcare for all Americans.

I voted to bring down costs for all Americans and make healthcare affordable for the 147,000 constituents in my district without health insurance. "    » read more »

November 7, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. – In an historic vote to improve health care in America, U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz (PA-13) joined her colleagues in the House of Representatives tonight to pass H.R. 3962, The Affordable Health Care for America Act.    » read more »

WASHINGTON, Nov 7 - Today Congressman Mark Schauer issued the following statement after voting to pass sweeping health insurance reform legislation.

"Today I was proud to cast a vote in favor of the Affordable Health Care for America Act because it will offer every single American access to quality, affordable health insurance, strengthen Medicare for seniors by closing the prescription drug donut hole, and lower health care costs for Michigan businesses to help them compete. Additionally, this legislation and accompanying measures will reduce the federal deficit by $109 billion over the next ten years, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.    » read more »

November 7, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (CA-47) today issued the following statement regarding her decision to vote in favor of H.R. 3692, the Affordable Health Care for America Act:

"Tonight I voted in favor of the Affordable Health Care for America Act - one of the most difficult votes I've taken during my congressional tenure. This bill is far from perfect, and I remain greatly concerned about the costs of the measure. I will continue to work diligently to reduce the high costs of the bill between now and final passage of a conference bill.    » read more »

Legislation Covers 96 percent of Americans, Reduces the Deficit

November 07, 2009 -- Washington, DC - Rep. Linda Sánchez, member of the House Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over healthcare, joined her colleagues tonight to vote for the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962).

Rep. Linda Sánchez gave the following statement:

“I vote on behalf of the nearly 50 million Americans who don’t have health insurance.

“On behalf of parents who have to choose between taking their sick child to the doctor and paying the electric bill on time.

“On behalf of adult children who are slowly losing their parents to Alzheimer’s, and yet can’t afford the quality care their parents need.    » read more »

“For the thousands of Coloradans who have gone without health care for too long”

November 7, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC –Today, Congressman John Salazar helped pass the Affordable Health Care for America Act. As drafted, this bill would immediately end discrimination for pre-existing medical conditions, prevent Americans from being dropped from coverage if they become sick, eliminate co-pays for preventive care, place yearly caps on what someone pays, and eliminate waste, fraud and overpayments to private insurance companies. The vote passed the House of Representatives 220-215.

In Colorado’s Third Congressional District, the Affordable Health Care for America Act will:

• Improve employer-based coverage for 362,000 residents.    » read more »