Washington, DC - Congressman John D. Dingell (D-MI15), lead sponsor of H.R. 3200, the “America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009,” made the comments this afternoon after President Barack Obama’s remarks about health care reform:

“I want to commend the President for his leadership on the issue of health care reform. The President and the American people have made it clear – we want a system that will provide stable, quality, and affordable health care to all Americans and it must be deficit neutral. In his remarks this afternoon, he correctly captured both where we are in Congress in the work on this important legislation and why our economy can not continue with the current system in place. The rising cost of health care is unacceptable and unsustainable. We need change and we need it now.

“I want to assure all Americans, we will not write a bill that will put our nation’s economic future in jeopardy. In fact, our goal is to write a bill that will not only help us out of the current economic crisis but will prevent the next great economic meltdown. Health care costs will almost certainly be the cause of that catastrophe if nothing is done to reign in the out of control costs. The President has set the mark for all us and we are committed to get the health reform we need.”

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