Washington, DC - Congressman John D. Dingell (D-MI15), who has worked for more than 50 years to bring quality, affordable health care for all Americans, made the following remarks in this morning’s Committee on Energy and Commerce hearing on the “Comprehensive Health Reform Discussion Draft.”  The Congressman has joined with Chairmen Waxman, Miller and Rangel to help write the discussion draft and craft it into a bill, which Speaker Pelosi has said will bear the “Dingell” name.  The Congressman delivered his remarks shortly before Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius testified before the Committee.

“Mr. Chairman, thank you for holding this important hearing.  I want to acknowledge Secretary Sebelius who is making her first appearance before this Committee.  I am confident you bring the right experience and expertise to help us solve the health care problems we are faced with.  I would also note that Secretary Sebelius’ father, John Gilligan, was a distinguished Member of this Committee.  This week marks the beginning of a truly historic process, an opportunity to fulfill our moral and economic obligation to provide quality affordable health care coverage for all Americans. 

“There is general consensus around the fact that the current health care system is not working—it is not working for American families, business, or government.  47 million Americans are currently without health care and upwards to 86 million will be without health care at some point during the year. 

“More and more Americans are being forced to make decisions they should never be forced to make—do they pay their monthly health insurance premium or pay the utility bill? Do they pay the copayment for their prescription drugs or doctor visit or put gas in the car so they can get to work?  Many Americans are putting off going to the doctor because they cannot afford to do so. It is no wonder that the leading cause of personal bankruptcy is medical bills.   

“American business owners are facing the tough decision of whether to meet the monthly payroll or pay the health insurance contribution for their employees.  They find themselves at a disadvantage in trying to compete with business in other countries.

“The federal budget simply can not sustain our current health care spending.  If health care costs grow unabated, the country is on track to spend more than 20% of its GDP on health by 2018.

“The discussion draft, I stress ‘discussion draft’, we are considering is a uniquely American solution to this crisis.  I have enjoyed working with Chairmen Waxman, Rangel, and Miller on putting this draft together and I commend all parties for the unprecedented cooperation and coordination that went into producing this single discussion draft for the three committees of jurisdiction.  Much hard work and good faith effort has gone into this document. It is truly remarkable that we have been able to operate, for all intents and  purposes, as one committee with the single goal of taking President Obama’s health care reform principles and turning them into the starting point for legislation.

“We have all worked hard to get to this point, but now the real work begins.  Chairman Waxman has pledged to follow regular order as much as possible, given our very tight time frame set out for us by President Obama. I thank him for that, because it is through this process that we must listen, negotiate and work with all interested parties to create the best possible bill – one that is truly an American Solution. 

“I have been working on health care reform for more than 50 years, building on the work of my father before me. The stars have aligned in favor of health care reform in a way that I have never seen. The President wants it, the Congress wants it, and the American people are desperate for it. This process is going to be hard. Our timeline is short, and we all won’t agree on everything. However, we must keep the end goal in mind. We must not let ourselves get so mired that we never come up for air and remember that our current health care system is failing us and we cannot delay reform for another Congress, another decade, or another century.

“Let me be clear:

·      This discussion draft is NOT an attempt to create a single payer system nor is it a first step towards a single payer system.

·      This discussion draft is NOT an attempt to ration care.  I would commit that the draft is an attempt to get rid of the rationing that takes place every day because people cannot afford care or are denied care because of pre-existing conditions.

·      This discussion draft is NOT an attempt to destroy the private market or the system of employer sponsored health care many Americans enjoy today.

“That being said, each of us in this room has our own vision of what ideal health care reform looks like. While, the specifics may be different, we all share four common goals:

·        We must pass legislation that reduces the costs of health care for families, businesses and government;

·        We must pass legislation that makes quality, affordable health insurance available for all Americans;

·        We must pay for this legislation;

·        We must pass legislation now.

“The choices that we make over the coming months will be historically significant. If we are courageous, and enact comprehensive health care reform, our product will sit among the ranks of Social Security, a program that my Dad helped pass in 1935, and Medicare, which the New York Times noted on its editorial page on Saturday is ‘only short of the flag in its popularity.’  If we are not courageous, we will have failed this generation and the generations to come.

“Opportunities of this magnitude to help the American people do not come around often, and if we do not have the courage to move forward, this unique opportunity will pass us by. I argue that the task of reforming health care is probably one of the most important duties any of us will face in our careers.  It will take courage to fight back against the naysayers who claim that we are trying to do too much, too quickly. It will take courage to stand up to the false cries of socialism and those who say that reform will lead to a government take over of health care. And it will take the courage of all of us to listen to each other, to work in good faith and put the interest of the American people ahead of the benefit of any one industry or interest group.

“We must not lose sight of the people we were elected to represent – the family who has health insurance but is worried that with rising costs they will no longer be able to afford it; the small business owner who wants to provide her employees with quality coverage, but the costs prevent her from doing so; and our American companies who find it harder to remain competitive in the global economy due to the escalating health care costs.

“If we keep these people at the heart of the process, I am certain this year we will pass comprehensive health care reform legislation that will build on the existing system, keep intact the that which is working in our system, and will give people the peace of mind that no matter what life changes they face, they will always have access to health insurance. The American people deserve nothing less.

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman.”

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