House Proceeding 03-04-10 on Mar 4th, 2010 :: 1:42:20 to 2:23:20
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1:07:25 to 2:01:45( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Dana Rohrabacher

1:42:05 to 1:42:26( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: most favored nation trading status permanent. bush allowed that tiananmen square for the policy to continue. clinton made it permanent. one of the most disturbing aspects of this unwholly relationship has been the transfer of american technology to china. technology used against our remaing manufacturers and against our defenders and

1:42:27 to 1:42:47( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: technology that advances chinese military power and threatens our safety. technology has fled over there. much of the technology to which i refer was a product of r&d paid for by the american taxpayer. letting such american innovation to bolster and strengthen such a monsterous

1:42:48 to 1:43:12( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: regime in china is sinful and an incredible betrayal of the american people and a disservice to the freedom-loving people of china. let us note that i believe the chinese people are our greatest allies. they are the wubs who will rid themselves -- ones who will rid themselves of this tyranny and save the world from this threat. we must do everything to reach out to the people of china who

1:43:13 to 1:43:33( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: are our friends by fighting -- confronting -- not fighting in terms of military, but confronting the chinese dictatorship, just like we should be doing in iran. but there is a deal between our corporate elite and the chinese hierarchy. our corporate elite wins. our peop lose their jobs.

1:43:34 to 1:43:54( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: freedom loses. our government has foisted this upon us. our government permits the cheaps to keep their currency -- chinese to keep their currency value artificially low which even makes china even more able not just to compete

1:43:55 to 1:44:15( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: but to overwhelm our manufacturers. they have been keeping their currency artificially low so they can obliterate domestic manufacturing in the united states. and we have permitted the limited access of our products to their market while at the same time we have opened up our

1:44:16 to 1:44:36( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: market totally to chinese-made products. they limit our access to their markets while they have unlimited access to ours. their currency is kept on a low level to make sure the flow of wealth is coming in their direction by manipulating occurrencies. we permitted technology and investment to go there even though it's a dictatorship. so what we've seen is trillions

1:44:37 to 1:44:58( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: of dollars have been drained out of our economy. so the wage in the united states has been depressed. our investment in the infrastructure has been obliterated. we must deal with this situation or america will contino slide down even as

1:44:59 to 1:45:19( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: the power of beijing asends, it will continue to affect our security and our prosperity and our freedom and we will become more docile and more subservent even as the arrogance and maliciousness of the chinese regime becomes apparent. china trade policy must be on the list if we are to get

1:45:20 to 1:45:40( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: ourselves out of the downward economic spiral we are in. trillions of dollars of wealth being drained from oureople, yet we hear no such proposals about china trade. in fact, there's legislation making its way through congress that would make the situation worse. surprise, surprise. it would result in even more american technology ending up

1:45:41 to 1:46:02( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: in chinese hands and being used against us. there are proposals in congress to weaken export control laws that control the flow of american technology. i agree that with three nations our entrepreneurs and enterprisers should be free from the heavy-handed restrictions they now face.

1:46:03 to 1:46:28( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: this, of course, as long as is -- as long as the final destination of the people we're dealing with is not a transaction that will end up in delivering products to threatening nations like china or iran. but the american business community insists on one set of rules for all.

1:46:30 to 1:46:50( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: whether than free and democratic countries being on one tier to a transfer controlled by dictatorships and regimes? no, they can't have a two-tier system. not to baseman who thinks of himself as a citizen of the world. not as an american -- not as a businessman who thinks of himself as a citizen of the

1:46:51 to 1:47:12( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: world. not as an american. he's a citizen of the world. yes, he's a citizen of the world just like all people around the world. he wants a fast buck. it's our job to protect the interest of the american people, not the interest of an elite that wants to make a fast buck in dealing with dictators. interestingly enough, one of the issues of contention in is debate deals with the

1:47:13 to 1:47:34( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: launching of u.s. satellites on chinese rockets. the last time this was tried i originally thought it could be done. as long as safeguards were in place to prevent transfered technology. it turned into a national security nightmare. the safeguards were promised by the clinton administration but they were never enforced. when i realized this i immediately changed my position on the issue.

1:47:35 to 1:47:57( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: and in fact conducted a personal investigation that turned out to be -- to discover a damaging transfer of rocket technology to china. later, the cox commission verified our national security had been severely damaged. now, the same arguments are being made. now, current chinese rockets, however, have benefited from the technology they took from

1:47:58 to 1:48:19( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: us and were given 15 years ago. well, if we permit them to launch our satellites on their rockets we will be undercutting our own rocket indust. you can kiss our aerospace industry goodbye. if companies like boeing and

1:48:20 to 1:48:41( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: g.e. start outsourcing rockets to china, kiss our aerospace industry goodbye. we will not capture the economic momentum that we need to level our current crisis. if our manufacturing and no how goes to china we -- and know how goes to china we lose.

1:48:42 to 1:49:03( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: we should be treated as an adversary to our democratic system well. but to transfer technology to china is moving forward here in washington. as is the proposal to launch u.s. satellites on chinese rockets. all of this is part of a trade policy that has obviously

1:49:04 to 1:49:25( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: worked against us. us, the united states, the people of america. it's worked against us. yet, instead of being advocates of leaders as we were told would happen, our guard business will go there and interact with the chinese become more democratic.

1:49:26 to 1:49:48( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: they'll learn to trust us and more benevolent while instead our business community, instead of lobbying the bad guys, is here lobbying us on these policies in order to support, what, their buddies beijing. it's -- just as disturbing, another thing may be handed to china as well as well as to other foreign competitors in the united states.

1:49:49 to 1:50:09( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: as part of a so-called patent reform bill that's making its way through the legislative process. for two decades the very same corporate elites, especially in the electronics industry, who have been shipping jobs to china, have been pushing hard for fundamental changes in america's patent system. pro-inventiveness rhetoric has

1:50:10 to 1:50:30( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: masked their attempt to dramatically diminish and even destroy the patent protection that has been enjoyed by americans since the founding of our country. well, our only chance of getting back to an upper economic track is the efficiency to produce more wealth through to use the creative jean us of our people to build the

1:50:31 to 1:50:52( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: machines that will enable americans to compete and to beat foreign adversaries. one of america's greatest assets, the butt -- the bull wart of our freedom, the wealth production in our country has been a strong patent system. it's been the right of our people, specifically written into our constitution in

1:50:53 to 1:51:13( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: article 1, section 8, that guarantees the right of ownership to inventors for a given period of time in order to stimulate innovation and progress and, yes, lead to general prosperity. and it worked. that's why americans have had such a high standard of living. people work hard all over the world. hard. maybe harder than americans.

1:51:14 to 1:51:36( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: but we had the tools and the equipment and the technology and the machines to outcompete those people throughout the world and build the standard of living of ordinary people. that's what we're proud of. other people work hard, as i say, but we produce the wealth as never dreamed of before fo normal, ordinary people because we had the tools and the

1:51:37 to 1:51:59( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: machines. and ch threatened our genius saved us, from hostile ideologists -- ideologies, our technological superiority is even more useful today when we were in a life and death struggle with radical islam. not islam in genera not the 1 1/2 billion muslims on this planet who we have to reach out

1:52:00 to 1:52:20( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: to just like we reach out to the people of china but to the radical islamists who would hurt us, who would kill our people as they did on 9/11. some foreigners would like to use the product or creative genius against us. unfortunately there are those in the corporate elite who willre willing to let that happen. the megaelectronics industry has

1:52:21 to 1:52:42( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: been investing huge sums of money, campaign donations, for 15 years to accomplish this goal of diminishing or destroying america's patent protectio. they are the last ones you would think would be the enemies of patent protections because they have the biggest names in the electronic industry. why should such company does this? why companies that appear to be

1:52:43 to 1:53:04( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: based on innovation want to destroy the patent system? because they produce products that contain multiple elements, each one is a separate invention, but there's a cell phone or computer or other technology, there might be 20 elements that someone else invented and they must use that capability in order to stay competitive and the big bs

1:53:05 to 1:53:25( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: don't want to pay royalties to the little envin -- inventors. so instead they're negotiating an agreement that will undercut america's independent inventors, little guys, as well as other industries, it will permit these megatech multinational corporations to steal because they're going to make it legal.

1:53:26 to 1:53:47( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: they're going to change the way the law works. they're going to diminish patent protection. well, the fact that this will also enable other gangsters around the world and other

1:53:48 to 1:54:08( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: people around the world to steal america's technology, just like they're trying to steal it from america's little guys, that's of little concern to them because these corporate elites are also global thinkers. many of them consider themselves citizens of the world. yeah, globalists. for 15 years they've tried time and again to run through major fatal changes to our patent system and each time they've been thwarted by a small band of patriots, that's right, the patriots can still beat the big guys.

1:54:09 to 1:54:29( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: we can beat the globalists. just last week a bill has made its way through the senate judiciary committee. chairman leahy is looking for floor time to bring it to a vote and once it passes it is likely to make it through the house. the finished legislation will destroy -- will not destroy the patent system. was the case with all of the

1:54:30 to 1:54:50( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: past legislation that these megatech industries have tried to hoist upon us. but the fact is that it will undermine and diminish the current levels of protection as a compromise with these big businesses. why should we compromise with megatech companies that want tody inish our rights? they say -- to diminish our

1:54:51 to 1:55:11( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: rights? americans enjoy more freedom and more rights than the people of the world. if they want to harmonize their laws with us, let them increase the protection that they give to average citizens rather than diminish it. the bill is going, of course, right now it's going in the wrong direction.

1:55:12 to 1:55:32( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: even though there's been compromise. it's still taking us in the wrong direction, even though the megatech companies now, some of the major players, who have been calling for this bill to be passed, actually helped mold the first bill that was passed through this house. these people are now saying they don't support the legislation.

1:55:33 to 1:55:54( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: well, we need to skip -- we need to just say that bill contains compromises that are not doing no favor to anybody. not the big guys, the little guys, not to american competiveness, not to those people who are inventors, not to anybody. so we should jus simply wait until next year. we can then build a strong

1:55:55 to 1:56:15( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: coalition foratent protection with biotech, small and medium electronic firms, pharmaceuticals, colleges and universities, small inventors, all the people who actually are the main spring of human progress for america, we can strengthen them by giving them more legal protection for their inveptiveness. of course, compromise is not good enough for these electronic

1:56:16 to 1:56:36( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: firms, so they actually are opposing the bill, too. let us all work together, then, in making sure this compromise legislation does not pass and that next year we pass a bill not for the megatech companies that are trying to destroy the patent system but for the

1:56:37 to 1:56:58( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: american people who depend on innovation. the fight could go either way on this bill now but let's hope that we can basically thwart their efforts because there are people in china and overseas right now waiting for us to change the rules in order to make sure they can get the technology and steal it from the american people themselves.

1:56:59 to 1:57:19( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: by the way, since the 1996 these megatech companies, these set over thousands and thousands of jobs to china have been sued by little guys. in 730 cases of patent infringement. these megacompanies, they do not want to suffer those cases, they

1:57:20 to 1:57:40( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: just want to be able to take those -- take that intellectual property, even though they didn't invent it, and not pay for it. and benefit and profit from it themselves without giving royalties to the inventor. that kind of dynamic put into our system will undermine american progress and bring us down.

1:57:41 to 1:58:01( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: thanks for our independent judiciary, these infringements have cost the bill guys $4 billion in judgments. we need to keep in place a system in which the big guys trying to steal from little guys, the little guys can win. the patriotsan win. but the big guys, they want to change the rules, let's see if we can do it. we need to make the american people alerted to it.

1:58:02 to 1:58:23( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: but to get out of this cris, this is what we need to focus on, the american people are becoming focused because their whole way of life, their specific standard of living of their family is being threatened and they understand that. they're going to get out of this and go back and get back on a path of economic growth. if our children are to live at peace and enjoy prosperity we

1:58:24 to 1:58:45( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: must produce our own energy, we st have trade agreements that are done not at our expense but are mutually beneficial trade agreements, we must protect our freedom, especially the rights of technology ownership that have served america so well. an innovative surge will give us the edge, it will give us the ability to produce more wealth,

1:58:46 to 1:59:07( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: create more jobs, keep america competive. we can produce and grow our way out of this crisis. but the challenge will not be met by wishful thinking. patriots must act to save the day. we can rely on freedom and technology but only if the patriots act to ensure that freedom and technological

1:59:08 to 1:59:31( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: progress are not undermined by counterproductive policies and changes in the law that have been hoisted upon us by powerful interest gups. or ideological zealots or just plane idiots with influence. patriots have to step forward or things will continue to go haywire and the standard of living of the american people will go down.

1:59:32 to 1:59:53( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: we will not -- we will not sit idly by. patriots can and will win. we will not give up our freedom. we will not give up the dream, the freedom and technology here, the freedom and technology that have with it but freedom and technology there is no limit to what we as a people can accomplish, no limit to how far

1:59:54 to 2:00:15( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: we can go, no barrier to progress that we cannot bring down. rond reagan used to say, there's nothing wrong with our government that cannot be fixed with one good election. i would amend that by saying there's nothing wrong with our country that can't be corrected by patriots working together. and with freedom and technology we will overcome the challenge -- economic challenge and cris

2:00:16 to 2:00:38( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: that we face and we will ensure that our children are given the freedom and the opportunity and the decent standarof living that we have enjoyed as americans over these last few decades since the great generation of americans stepped forward and saved the world from naziism and saved the world from

2:00:39 to 2:00:59( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: communism and saved the world from fanatics who would murder and terrorize decent people throughout the world. we have a very special role to play. americans come from every race, every religion, every ethnic group. we have come here to show the world there's a better way, that we can live together in peace

2:01:00 to 2:01:20( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: and respect each other, that we -- and as this conglomerate people, we represent an ideal, not a territory, that we have to reach out to those people throughout the world, provide leadership and an example and that's what this fight is about, the patriots will win because we are doing so for the cause of all freedom and humanity.

2:01:21 to 2:01:41( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. under the speaker's announced policy of january 6, 2009, the gentleman from minnesota, mr. ellison, is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader. mr. ellison: and we'll claim the time on behalf of the progressive caucus. but i have a few boards to put

2:01:42 to 2:01:47( Edit History Discussion )

Dana Rohrabacher: up so i'm going to grab those

2:02:20 to 2:43:20( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Keith Ellison

2:02:27 to 2:02:47( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: right now. mr. ellison: mr. speaker, i'm keith ellison and here to offer the progressive message, to deliver the progressive message. looking forward to having some other progressive caucus members join me, but in any event we'll be here tonight for a few minutes to talk to america about the progressive vision of america.

2:02:48 to 2:03:08( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: america is a great country because people stood forward and had a higher vision of what it could be, yet we came here as a nation and the united states said, you know what? we can have a country where all men and women are created equal, we have to make that happen understand so americans set out on a path to, what, end slavery.

2:03:09 to 2:03:29( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: and then exalt the rights of workers and then eliminate gender discrimination and have the women's right to vote and then move on forward to spread the economic prosperity to al people, to make sure that working class men and women during the great depression were able to have the kind of economic whe with all that could see them through a difficult time.

2:03:30 to 2:03:51( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: america is a progressive idea. we saw the end of segregation because americans stood up of all races and colors and said, you know, this offends the basic principle of our nation. it wasn't easy, it wasn't pretty, it was real messy and people gave up everything to pursue that ideal but they did. so america is really at the

2:03:52 to 2:04:13( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: bottom of progress ofive idea -- progressive idea. no more important than the fight for health care. no more important than the fight for universal health care. and as a member of the progressive caucus i come here as a person who really would love to see universal single-payer health care, the right way to go. but single-payer did not make it

2:04:14 to 2:04:34( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: into the debate really this year but important ideas like the public option did and we'rifying for those ideas tooth and nail to the vast very last. progressive message tonight, talking about health care as i have so many weeks hence, but it's an idea that is coming to the floor and there's no time to stop talking about health care

2:04:35 to 2:04:56( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: reform now because americans, we've been through a lot of changes, you all remember when the president started off his service, the president started off and said, we're going to move forward on health care, begin some health care summits. and we had a number of conversations as we went through and went forward. and of course as so often happens, members from the other side of the aisle, the

2:04:57 to 2:05:17( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: republican caucus, had a lot of complaints but they didn't have many you constructive ideas. we move forward anyway. and we went through this spring where we had literally tens and tens and tens, dozens of community hearings and hearings here on capitol hill about health care reform. we had witnesses come here to

2:05:18 to 2:05:38( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: talk about how to bend the cost curve down, how to reduce costs, how to expand coverage. we literally had well over 10 hearings on health care reform. and as i said, we went into the communities and i had a member of community meetings myself and we had this debate right on and up into the beginning of august

2:05:39 to 2:06:01( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: and people were telling us, you know, the public option is dead but the public option as you know is not dead. we kept fighting for it and bringing it up and kept rallying americans, mr. speaker, and we just didn't break and we wouldn't bend and we kept the conversation alive. we kept the conversation alive even though we had a very tough economy to deal with, ev though with had to deal with the failing auto industry, even

2:06:02 to 2:06:22( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: though we had a financial catastrophe. we understood that getting health care reform right was key to prosperity for the poor, for working class people, for middle class people. so we never really gave it up. i know some people in fact earlier today somebody said, what are you going to talk about tonight on the special order think? said i'm going to talk about health care.

2:06:23 to 2:06:45( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: they said, wow, we're sick of talking about that. you know what, we don't have the luxury to be sick of talking about health care reform because right now at this very moment there are people who are facing being cut off health care insurance, people whose medical expenses have gone so high they have to consider bankruptcy in

2:06:46 to 2:07:06( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: order to make it and survive economically. there are people who have children getting ready to turn 22. i had a situation where our health care carrier told me on your son's birth way, which should be a happy occasion, he's going to be terminated from your health care policy. this is my own son.

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

Keith Ellison: i am many of congress and i am sitting here figuring out my boy who is going from 21 to 22 covered because he's going to be looking for health care coverage in only a few days. americans are going through this all the time. some americans are thinking, wow, i hope i can get to 65 so i can get medicare because then i won't have all these

2:07:28 to 2:07:52( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: problems, i will be able to afford health care like i haven't been able to afford it in so many years. americans are in dire straits. so it doesn't make any sense to anyone not talking about health care because americans are not done fighting health care. and so we're here with the congressional progressive caucus.

2:07:53 to 2:08:13( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: in is our email. contact us and let us know what ur ideas are. we believe that progress is made through new ideas and we want to hear about it. but we're going to be talking about health care tonight. hopefully be joined by some of our colleagues.

2:08:14 to 2:08:35( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: i want to talk about health care and the economy, how these two ideas are linked together. shocking, shocking, shocking, shocking news. how do you like this one, folks? health insurers break record profits as 2.7 million

2:08:36 to 2:08:56( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: americans lose coverage. wait a minute. i must be reading this wrong, mr. speaker. health care insurers break profit records as 2.7 million americans lose coverage. you mean they're breaking records, getting more money than they ever got before, as

2:08:57 to 2:09:18( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: they're throwing people off coverage? well, that doesn't seem right. you would think that during this time, mr. speaker, of reviewing health care policy that somebody somewhere would have at least the good sense to say, well, maybe we shouldn't throw all these people off at a time when we're making all this money.

2:09:19 to 2:09:39( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: it would look back. these be a rigsist folks don't have any chame when it comes to grab more money. -- shame when it comes to grab more money. like those in the financial services industry giving themselves record bonuses as america's banks are -- have enough reserves but aren't lending it out. so small businesses can help

2:09:40 to 2:10:01( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: grow our economy. as we're in the middle of a financial cris, they're giving themselves bonuses and they feel put upon and personally attacked because they can't get a gazillion more dollars. health care insurers brk record profits as 2.7 million americans lose coverage.

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Keith Ellison: mr. speaker, i'd just like to show to whoever's looking the report whe i get this information. this report, health care insurers break record profits as 2.7 million americans lose coverage, february, 2010, health care now, health care

2:10:23 to 2:10:43( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: for amera now. this is something very important. great report. you can get it on the health care for america now.org website and people need to check it out, mr. speaker, because it's the kind of information that can really help you g you engaged, get you involved and get you moving toward real health care reform.

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Keith Ellison: let me just say -- read a little bit from the report so the americans who are watching can get a taste of this important. th largest health insurance companies, mr. speaker, sail through the worse economic downturn since the great depression to set new industry

2:11:06 to 2:11:26( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: profit records in 2009, a feat accomplished by leaving behind 2.7 million americans who had been in private health plans. for consumers who kept their benefits, the insurers raised rates and cut the share of premiums spent on medical care.

2:11:27 to 2:11:47( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: executives and shareholders of the five biggest for-profit health insurers, united health group, incorporate rated, aetna, incorporate rated, cigna , corporation, enjoy the combined profit of $12.2

2:11:48 to 2:12:09( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: billion, that's $12 billion with a b, in 2009, up 56% from the previous year. it was the best year pour big insurance. wow. wow. that's amazing to me. you would -- these folks coming

2:12:10 to 2:12:30( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: down here saying that they got to have the prate insurance go their way so they can survive, well, they're reaping megaprofits. mr. speaker, it's wrong. mr. speaker, we got to do something about it. it's downright unpatriotic. the outsize earnings are a

2:12:31 to 2:12:52( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: vid reminder that without comprehensive national health care reform the gatekeepers of our broken health care system will put the short-term interest of wall street before the needs of millions of patients and a national economy plagued by joblessness. i'm not going to read the whole report, mr. speaker, but it is worth it to go on a little further. the 2009 financial report from

2:12:53 to 2:13:17( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: the nation's five largest insurance companies revealed that, one, the firms made $12.2 billion, an increase of $4.4 billion or 56% from 2008. four out of five of the companies saw earnings increase with cigna's profits jumping 346%.

2:13:18 to 2:13:39( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: cigna's profits jumped 346%. that's pretty good. now, this is -- as americans are losing their health care benefits, as the unemployment is sking, as people are getting in real pain, they're getting more money. the companies provided private insurance coverage to 2.7 million fewer people than the year before. four out of five of the

2:13:40 to 2:14:01( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: companies insured fewer people through private coverage. united health alone insured 1.7 fewer people through employer-based and individual coverage. and that's why i'm an advocate of universal single-payer health care. as long as the private insurance market is a player in this thing, they are going to offer the worst at the highest price.

2:14:02 to 2:14:23( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: but all but one of the five companies increased the number of people they cover through public insurance programs, medicaid, schip, medicare, united health added 6800 people to public plans. that's me and you. that's the public. the proportion of the premium dollars spent on health care

2:14:24 to 2:14:44( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: expenses went down for three of the five firms with the higher proportion going to administrative expenses. and guess what, profits. i know you're shocked. one last paragraph, mr. speaker, so that people can really get a flavor of this thing. i'm hoping the people will really get a handle on this and look into it so that they can

2:14:45 to 2:15:05( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: see what's really going on. you can't figure out what's going on by some of these talk show hosts, depending on what station you like to watch, they're not going to tell you the truth. they are going to be busy telling you about death panels and s and say, government's taking over health care.

2:15:06 to 2:15:27( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: well, i'd rather have government take over my health care than united group take over my health care. i would, and i think a lot of americans would probably agree. some may not, but i think most americans expect the government o make sure that the private corporations in the health care business play fair with the american people. going back to the report.

2:15:28 to 2:15:49( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: the shedding of 2.7 million americans from private health care plans is part of the long-term shifting of responsibility for the care of miions of the sick, older and lower income customers to taxpayers supported government health programs such as medicare and state children's health insurance program. state and federal programs have increasingly been hiring big

2:15:50 to 2:16:10( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: insurers to manage their care. well, i think we need to not do that. we need to do something -- we need to get a real plan that will provide some real competition with these people like a public option. or better yet, have single payer health care and st get the private market out of the health care business and allow private doctors to take care of

2:16:11 to 2:16:32( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: patients as opposed to private insurance companies, wch, mr. speaker, i will say don't really add value to the health care equation. what do these people do? they move paper around. they don't see patients. they don't diagnosis. they don't treat. what do they do? what do they add? do they get one aspirin?

2:16:33 to 2:16:54( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: do they go get -- do they put gauze or dress wounds? they don't do any of that. i think they are mo or less a pair asite on the system -- a pair site on the -- parasite on the system. so here's a little bit more from inside of the report.

2:16:55 to 2:17:17( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: faced with such onerous costs, many customers are winding up uninsured. health insurance premiums have risen so high that experts forecast that 52 million americans will be without coverage this year. now, mr. speaker, i know and you know that the number we always toss around is 47 million americans don't have health care.

2:17:18 to 2:17:40( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: well, if that's what you say, you're wrong. 52 million americans -- we're approaching 52 million americans without health care, and that's at a time we're in the very middle of a debate around reforming health care. left alone, the purchase of health care plans directly from private insurers, many will have no choice but to remain uninsured or to buy cheap policies with inadequate

2:17:41 to 2:18:02( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: benefits that leave them underinsured and at financial risk should they have a serious accident or illness. now, one little fact that americans should know is that 60% -- 60% of all bankruptcy

2:18:03 to 2:18:23( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: filings are directly related to medical debt. think about that. a broken health care system is driving americans to bankruptcy anto poverty. and as th happens, our industry doesn't seem to care much at all because they're

2:18:24 to 2:18:44( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: getting theirs, what seems to be their only obsession. well, mr. speaker, i may return to this topic in a little while, but i want you to -- but i want you to know and i want the american people to know this is something, this is a problem that must be addressed. this is not a time for cynicism, mr. speaker. this is a time for action. this is not a time to say what can happen.

2:18:45 to 2:19:05( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: this is the time to make something happen. this is not a time to quit. this is a time to act. and if americans act now, mr. speaker, we can get that public insurance option. we can get that public option. you know, last week when i was talking we had only about 24 senators sign onto a letter saying they would support a public option.

2:19:06 to 2:19:27( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: last time i checked we were up to 35. the question is, is your senator on the letter? we got to get 50 on there because if we get 50 senators on a letter to say they support the public option through reconciliation rules we will have that of and despite people saying the public option is dead it would jump back to life

2:19:28 to 2:19:48( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: just like the folks. and i would be surpr who say no to the -- to it. those for the public option who are like me and those against the public option like them, we have the same reason for the position that we take.

2:19:49 to 2:20:10( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: they oppose the public option and i suppor it for the same reason. it's going to cut into corporate profits and give more people health care. that's why we don't agree. they want to take more from the american people. i want to gi more the american people. so we al agree. but the public option can succeed if we just don't stop. if passed through the house,

2:20:11 to 2:20:32( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: 70% of americans support it, we got a climbing number of senators getting on it every day. i want to thank senator sherrod brown. you know, i think president sherrod brown sounds pretty good. i'd like to see him think about that. and we got president -- senator kristen gillibrand, another great american.

2:20:33 to 2:20:55( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: and we have other senators joing every day who say we are not going, we are going to break free of this strangle hold that's been around the u.s. senate and we are going to really do something good for the american people. i just want to say hats of to them and say i appreciate the hard work that they're doing. mr. speaker, i got another board that i want to show to

2:20:56 to 2:21:17( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: the people here. and this one is quite sobering, quite sobering. it's another big number, mr. speaker. and it's the kind of number that really, really, really -- we almost don't want to have to mention it but if you don't

2:21:18 to 2:21:39( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: mention it you do a disservice to the memory. this board right here -- i want to put it in the camera shot. says 45,000 -- 45,000 americans die every year because they're uninsured.

2:21:40 to 2:22:00( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: now, think about?? -- this number -- think about this number as you think about this number. 2.7 million americans lose coverage. because of no coverage, 45,000 americans die every year. so people are literally dying because they don't have health

2:22:01 to 2:22:22( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: care coverage and not one, not two, not somebody herer there, 45,000 people. this is a national disgrace, mr. speaker. it must be changed. we've got to do something about it. it's got to be something that is a national priority. we've got to extend coverage to people and we've got to do it

2:22:23 to 2:22:43( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: in a way that is cost effective and does not -- so that we can extend as much coverage as we possibly can to as many people as we possibly can. this is the reality of the situation. we've got to fight for this and we've got to understand that this fight for health care reform is a life and death fight, mr. speaker. it's not just something that

2:22:44 to 2:23:04( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: one side would prefer and some other side would kind of not prefer. that's not what we're talking about. we are talking about a life and death situation that unless we're able to move forward on health care reform, americans die. this number 45rk,000, looks like a bigumber. here in washington we throw big

2:23:05 to 2:23:25( Edit History Discussion )

Keith Ellison: numbers around all the time. 2.7 billion, 45,000, all these numbers, numbers, numbers. they jumble the min one of these 45,000 is the mother of someone. one of these 45,000 is a child of someone. one of these 45,000 is a young man in the prime of his life whose family is dependent on