Home > 2007 Speeches

"Universal Health Care is Possible"
House of Representatives - April 22, 2008

Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA)
Remarks
Mr. Speaker:

Reforming health care in America is not nearly as hard as the special interests would like the American people to believe. The special interests want to protect their profits, but Congress should concern itself with protecting the health and well being of the American people. There are two major news stories today that should be viewed side by side.  On there own, each story is powerful.  Taken together, the stories offer compelling evidence of what happens when special interests lobby against meaningful reform in the US; while in France, people receive universal health care that is ranked #1 in the world by the World Health Organization.

A new study conducted jointly by Harvard University and the University of Washington in my Congressional District has yielded a startling conclusion. Reporter Tom Paulson has the story in today’s Seattle PI newspaper.  Let me read an excerpt that says it all.One of every five American women, and one of every 25 men, are either dying at a younger age or seeing no improvement in life span.

The lead authors told the PI:  "It is what you would expect to see in a developing country, not here," said Dr. Majid Ezzati, a Harvard professor.
Dr. Chris Murray, from the UW called it a complete surprise and said: "It's remarkable in the history of the U.S." We pay more for health care than any nation on earth, yet life expectancy is declining for millions of Americans. 

At the same time, for about half the cost, every French citizen has access to a universal health care system rated the best in the world. ABC News online carries the story about the French system.  It includes data that shows universal health care works. In France, there is one doctor for every 430 people.  In the US, there is one doctor for every 1,230 Americans. 

The average life expectancy in France is two years longer than the US. And, the French system is one of the most expensive in the world, at $3,500 per person. But that is nothing compared to the $6,100 we spend in the US, per capita.  And we have 47 million without any health care coverage, and millions more with less than adequate coverage because it is too expensive. When the American people face soaring costs for health care, it’s time to create an American universal health care plan.

When millions of Americans face a declining life expectancy, it’s time to create an American universal health care plan. When the US health care system is ranked 37th by the World Health Organization, it’s time to create an American universal health care plan. We don’t have one today because special interests have used their influence to put profits ahead of people, by perpetuating a broken-down health care system.  And whenever someone tries to change it, they spend millions to frighten people. 

They are not spending all that money to provide better health care; they are spending it to protect their profit margins. And they’ll try to scare you into thinking that an American universal health care plan can’t be done.  That’s not true. An American universal health care plan is not only possible, it is imperative. These two stories, which I request permission to enter into the Record, are stark reminders of a crisis that is growing because it is not being treated. 

In medicine, it would be as if all the tests showed that a tumor was growing inside a patient and we did nothing about it. It would be malpractice and it would needlessly endanger a patient. Without an American universal health care plan, that is exactly what we are doing to the American people. Ignoring the truth has never worked in medicine and it won’t work in providing health care to the American people. 

We need an American universal health care plan and we need it now. 

Thank you.