Conyers: House Health Care Bill Will Save Lives While Fight for Single Payer Continues

[ProSense]

Conyers: House Health Care Bill Will Save Lives While Fight for Single Payer Continues

WASHINGTON D.C. — Congressman John Conyers, Jr (D-MI) issued the following statement today applauding the passage of H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act.

“Today, I joined my Democratic colleagues in support of the Affordable Healthcare for America Act. While the bill is far from perfect, I supported it because it will expand access to health insurance to 96 percent of Americans, end discrimination based on pre-existing conditions, help our seniors by closing the prescription drug benefit donut hole, and increase competition and choice with a public insurance option.”

In the near term, these reforms will improve and save American lives while we continue to fight for single payer health care at the state and national levels. I will vote for this bill because the cost of inaction is too high. Each year, 44,000 people die because they do not have access to insurance. Without reform, this number will rise, Americans will be at greater risk of losing their coverage, and our business community will continue to fall behind international competitors as their future profits are drained by burdensome health care costs.

[madrchsod]

1. although i agree with conyers on the idea....

the truth is if the democrats lose the house and or senate we`ll see what ever gains stripped away. they have been trying with medicare but have failed because it works to dam well and us baby boomer's are not going to let them touch it.the bill does address the donut hole but more needs to be done to lower drug cost.

bringing in the insurance companies is like inviting your ex`s to your wedding..you`re just asking for trouble.

[dflprincess]

2. It addresses the donut hole - barely

they're going to take 10 years to close it. Congress invented the donut hole in one step - they could close it that way too, they just don't want to.

If the Democrats lose Congress they'll have no one but themselves to blame.

[pinto]

3. "The cost of inaction is too high"

Totally agree here. Not a perfect bill, by anyone's benchmark. Yet it establishes a better foundation for universal health care than we have now. This isn't over, by a long shot.

And now, the issue goes to the Senate and then to a joint conference committee. And that's only this legislative cycle.

Hang in there folks.

[earth mom]

4. Conyers is a TOTAL sellout. FIrst with Impeachment and now this.

[cynatnite]

5. OMG...get over it...

The votes to impeach never existed in the first place.

[earth mom]

6. It was the WILL OF THE PEOPLE and Congress gave us all the finger.

They don't give a fuck about you! When are you going to get that?

[ProSense]

7. Kucinich gave the people who are dying without insurance the finger.

edited extra word.

[earth mom]

9. When you FORCE people to buy a crappy overpriced product-you are ripping them off!

People have lost homes and jobs in insane amounts the past couple of years and now you think it's cool to FORCE them to buy something that is overpriced and that they can't afford?

One principle this country was founded upon was to keep people out of prison because of their debts.

This fucked up bill will only fast track a shitload of people to debtors prison when they are fined outrageous amounts if they can't afford to comply.

Go ahead and applaud this massive ripoff and giveaway to the insurance industry, but Dennis speaks for me and I hope that he runs for Prez in 2012 because he is needed now more than ever-instead of the bullshit hope & change everyone was sold in '08!

Hope & Change my a$$!

[cynatnite]

8. The votes were never there in the first place...no matter what the will of the people wanted...

It's pointless to keep holding onto something that never had a realistic chance in hell of happening.

[CBR]

14. Heath Shuler, however, is not a sell out or John Boehner for

that matter.

[Barack_America]

17. Yeah! Weiner, Grayson and Grijalva too!

[joeycola]

10. I did not see him fighting for SP last few months. HE caved when the President

caved.

[mmonk]

11. Then why was the Kucinich amendment stripped out?

The vote for this bill was all about politics surrounding the 2010 elections where cowards are made.

[Mari333]

12. will he send a strongly worded letter?

[malaise]

13. It is a start n /t

[kid a]

15. yep

[Barack_America]

16. Lives, schmives, we're talking about PRINCIPLES here!

[XanaDUer]

18. Yes.

Nt.