House Proceeding 06-03-09 on Jun 3rd, 2009 :: 2:30:20 to 2:35:25
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2:30:17 to 2:30:38( Edit History Discussion )

Joe Courtney: a legislation on that issue and i yield to you, the gentleman from connecticut. mr. courtney: thank you, mr. murphy. this is incredibly important moment right now not only this evening but this summer, the summer of 2009 will go down in history as one of the great movements foard by our country

2:30:20 to 2:35:25( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Joe Courtney

2:30:39 to 2:30:59( Edit History Discussion )

Joe Courtney: at the level of when we passed social security, medicare, medicaid. and like you and the other speakers here, i think, understand that and getting this debate started and getting the facts out is the best way to make sure we move forward and get this done. i wanted to share briefly an experience i had that i think is

2:31:00 to 2:31:21( Edit History Discussion )

Joe Courtney: important, because there clearly will be as we go further into the summer forces out there that are going to use misinformation and fear as a way of trying to stop the change that mr. klein described a few moments ago. and my congress in the corner is mewhat sort of off the beaten track -- place.

2:31:22 to 2:31:45( Edit History Discussion )

Joe Courtney: it was at a military p.x. in groton, connecticut, where we set up our tables as active duty sailors, their families and retirees were going in to do their shopping. i had an experience that i just wanted to share with you, which is many people, because of some urban myth that's out there and whether it's talk radio or the

2:31:46 to 2:32:06( Edit History Discussion )

Joe Courtney: internet is spreading the claim that the obama health care plan is going to take away tricare from our military and from retirees who are eligible for it. and i just think it's important on this floor as clearly and as loudly to make the point that that is absolutely, flatly untrue.

2:32:07 to 2:32:27( Edit History Discussion )

Joe Courtney: that the veterans' health care system, the active duty health care system is going to be completely unaffected. as mr. kleinaid it is where the basic principles of this effort is if you like the health care that you have now, you can keep it. and it is clearly true for the ople who wear the uniform in

2:32:28 to 2:32:48( Edit History Discussion )

Joe Courtney: this country or who did and are now eligible for v.a. benefits. between the stimulus package and the budget that's been presented by the administration, what we're seeing is an unprecedented new investment in military health care and veterans' health care. we have great leadership at the v.a., general shinseki and tammy

2:32:49 to 2:33:09( Edit History Discussion )

Joe Courtney: duckworth who are committed to make sure the system is improved and expanded to keep the promise for people who served in our military. and the efforts that we're going to be talking about over the next two that system in tact, in toto.

2:33:10 to 2:33:30( Edit History Discussion )

Joe Courtney: . what's ironic is enemies of reform are using the argument that we're taking away a government-run system at the same time that they're attacking the reform effort as being too much government. you know, make up your mind. either, you know, one doesn't work and we should get rid of it or if it does work, well maybe

2:33:31 to 2:33:51( Edit History Discussion )

Joe Courtney: we should take some good ideas that exist in the military health system and the v.a. and apply them toward the pop us will at large. we know -- populous at large. we know in terms of electroncal record records -- electronic medical records, doctors in

2:33:52 to 2:34:13( Edit History Discussion )

Joe Courtney: germany can track the charts of our soldiers who are recuperating at walter reid hospital or other military hospitalers -- walter reed hospitals or other hospitals around the country. i would argue that rather than using government as sort of an example of inefficiencies, the fact is that the military has shown that they can actually

2:34:14 to 2:34:34( Edit History Discussion )

Joe Courtney: organize a sound, comprehensive system that provides high quality care. and lastly, i just wanted to, because again some of you have already spoken very powerfully and eloquently about the fact that we have an insurance system that's run amok, you know, we come from the insurance capital of the world, connecticut, your family, my family have people who worked in the insurance

2:34:35 to 2:34:55( Edit History Discussion )

Joe Courtney: industry in the good old days, insurance was about pooling risk and sharing risk and using it as a mechanism to help cover people in terms of dealing with, you know, accident, disease, chronic illness. obviously the gone in a different direction. it's about avoiding risk in terms of the way insance markets have beeset up.

2:34:56 to 2:35:16( Edit History Discussion )

Joe Courtney: we are not about dismantling the system in total but we are trying to re-establish, really, go back toits roots in terms of creating health care systems that pool risk and share it and do it in a way that actually gets back to the basic principles of when the insurance industry was first started back when the whaling industry in

2:35:17 to 2:35:26( Edit History Discussion )

Joe Courtney: connecticut created a situation where the whaleship owners realized they had to do something about losing ships. that waseally the birth of insurance in connecticut. but i'll spare that history