Ami Bera

Mr. BERA of California

Mr. BERA of California. I rise today to applaud the committee for addressing a critical issue not just to my own hometown but to our Nation. Most know Sacramento as the capital of the Golden State. What many don't know is that the Sacramento region, which sits at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers, where they converge near the bay delta, has the second highest flood risk in the United States. Only New Orleans is at greater risk for flooding. And we know what happened in Hurricane Katrina. The Folsom Dam Joint Federal Project is vital to protecting the region from disaster. We must continue to fund these improvements to take pressure off our overburdened levees and keep people who work and live in the region safe. A flood in Sacramento would be devastating to the 1.4 million residents in our metropolitan area. The flood risk could result in closures of evacuation routes like Interstate 5 and Interstate 80, a shutdown of our international airport, and destruction of homes and hospitals, not to mention the irreversible tragic loss of life. Additionally, flooding could result in billions of dollars in potential damage, and it could take weeks or months to pump the water out of the region. Another area of crucial importance that I hope this body will soon address is the Sacramento-American River levee system. Many of the levees in my area date from the 1870s, when farmers began building nearly 1,100 miles of protection around the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to control floodwaters and create farmland. Today, these levees are in desperate need of critical repair to help prevent a catastrophic disaster. We all witnessed the devastation caused by Superstorm Sandy this past November. However, unlike a slow-moving hurricane, a breach of the levees could occur with little or no warning. In fact, Robert Bea, professor of engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, warns: In terms of damage, deaths, and long-term costs, a rupture in the delta levees would be far more destructive than what happened in Hurricane Katrina. This is a ticking bomb.

Mr. BERA of California. In 2006, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency for California's levees. He signed an executive order directing agencies to identify, evaluate, and repair the levees. The citizens in Natomas levied themselves a tax; and they've already paid, along with the State of California, for 35 percent of the work. But we now need this body to allocate the rest to keep our region safe. As the ranking member said, it is better to prevent a catastrophe than wait for that tragic loss of life. Addressing vital projects like the Sacramento-American River levees is crucial. It's what we should be doing. It puts people to work. It is time for us to come together as a body and get America working again and fund vital projects like the Sacramento-American River levees.

Mr. BERA of California

Mr. BERA of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the contributions of Dalip Singh Saund, the first Indian American and the first Asian American to be elected to Congress. Along with 13 of my colleagues from California, I recently sent a letter asking Governor Jerry Brown to induct him into California's Hall of Fame. Saund was born in a small village in India, and much like my own parents, he immigrated to the United States in 1920 to attend college in California. He went on to serve his adopted country for three terms in Congress and was a trailblazer for human and civil rights. Congressman Saund's outstanding achievements and public service are an inspiration to generations of Asian Americans, Californians, and to all Americans. His portrait now hangs right outside this Chamber as a reminder to us all of the values that he stood for, values of equality and opportunity. Now it's time that Congressman Dalip Singh Saund's contributions are recognized in his home State by enshrining him in California's Hall of Fame.

Mr. BERA of California

Mr. BERA of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about core American values--values of liberty, values of freedom, values of individual rights. Today, a bill is going to come before this body that is a blatant attempt to take away those individual rights, those individual freedoms--freedoms that are core to who we are. This bill aims to take away individual decisions from America's mothers, America's sisters, and America's daughters. This bill is a travesty and a slap in the face of those core values of individual liberty and individual freedom, and this bill criminalizes doctors for doing our jobs. Now, I'm a doctor. Core to the oath that I took was to sit with my patients, answer their questions and empower them to make the decisions that best fit their faith circumstances, their individual circumstances, their family circumstances. That's core to the oath every doctor in the United States of America has taken. That's core to my job. The bill that's coming to the floor today takes those values and slaps them in the face. They put the government right in the middle of my exam room, but the government has no place between the doctor and the patient. What we should be debating is how we empower our patients, how we promote women's health, how we try to keep women healthy and help them plan their pregnancies, how we empower families. As a husband and as the father of a daughter, keeping women healthy is extremely important to me, and helping empower parents and families to plan those pregnancies is not only smart; it's good medicine. The legislation I am introducing later this week, the Women's Preventative Health Awareness Campaign Act, will direct the Department of Health and Human Services to educate women about the importance of the preventative wellness exam. This is a piece of legislation that will help address the issue of planning families, of planning when you want to be pregnant. It will help address the issues of undiagnosed heart disease. It will help us diagnose cancer, and it will save thousands of lives. I would urge my colleagues in this body on both sides of the aisle to join us in this bill. It's not only smart medicine; it will get to the core of empowering patients, of empowering women and of empowering families to make the decisions that best fit within the context of their lives. That's the oath that I took as a doctor; that's the promise that I make to all of my patients; and that's the oath that we take in this body--to protect those individual freedoms and the individual rights of all Americans and of all America's women.

Mr. BERA of California

Mr. BERA of California. Madam Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. BERA of California. Will the Speaker inform us as to when we might consider legislation to address the needs of a generation of college students whose interest rates are about to reset in a few weeks and double--instead of this bill, which is a direct attack on women's rights.

Mr. BERA of California

Mr. BERA of California. Today, I rise to celebrate our core values, American values, of religious freedom and tolerance. These are values that our Founders held sacred, and they are core to our Constitution. In that light, this year across this country and across the globe, we are celebrating the 150th anniversary of the birth of Swami Vivekananda. Born in India, he was known as Hinduism's Ambassador to the West. Many say he was the first Hindu monk to visit the U.S., spreading that same message of religious freedom and tolerance. Today, my friends from the Hindu American Foundation are here in Washington, D.C., for their annual meeting. As they visit Members of this body, they will be carrying that same message of religious freedom and tolerance. As someone who was raised in a culturally Hindu household, I was taught by my parents to honor and exhibit this same message of respect and tolerance for all religions and faith traditions. That's why, as an adult, I am part of the Unitarian Universalist tradition, a faith tradition that is rooted with our Founding Fathers and includes John Adams as one of its members, and it's this tradition that was embraced by Swami Vivekananda. So on this 150th anniversary of his birth, let's celebrate his message of religious freedom and tolerance, and let's remember the core values that our Founding Fathers wrote into our Constitution. Let's celebrate our individual freedom of thought and faith, which was captured in this quote by Swami Vivekananda: Dare to be free; dare to go as far as your thoughts lead; and dare to carry that in your life.

Mr. BERA of California

Mr. BERA of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of affordable student loans for America's students. I attended California's public schools from kindergarten through undergrad, through medical school. I could afford to go because of Federally funded student loans. My country made an investment in me, and we need to make that same investment in the next generation of students. Yesterday, I offered an amendment to the Rules Committee, and they rejected it. This amendment would have made student loans more affordable for today's students. That's what we have to do, invest in the next generation. Unfortunately, the bill that is coming to the floor today is going to make college less affordable for the next generation. We must make education more accessible. Vote ``no'' on the Making College More Expensive Act.

Mr. BERA of California

Mr. BERA of California. Madam Speaker, I'd like to congratulate the 2013 NCAA men's volleyball championship team from my alma mater, the University of California, Irvine. The UC system is one of the best public college systems in the world, and UC Irvine, through its academics, its research and athletics, continues to make me proud. The volleyball team recently won its fourth championship in 7 years. It's amazing. Congratulations especially goes to Connor Hughes, the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. He joined Chris Austin, Michael Brinkley, Collin Mehring, and Kevin Tillie on the all-tournament team. Hats off to Coach David Kniffin, who is just the second coach in the 44 years of men's volleyball history to coach a team to the championship in his first season. You've made us all proud. Go Anteaters.

Mr. BERA of California

Mr. BERA of California. Thank you to my colleague from Wisconsin for organizing this, and thank you to my colleague from New York. I am honored to be here with colleagues from both sides of the aisle. As you've heard us talking about the Problem Solvers, that's what we're elected to do--to solve problems. One of the first organizations I joined when I got here was the No Labels organization. One of the first bills that I had the honor of cosponsoring was the No Budget, No Pay legislation. What a novel idea--putting together a budget. That was a bill that was an idea that came out of the Problem Solvers. We sponsored that bill, we put it forth, and lo and behold, the House of Representatives has a budget, the Senate has a budget, and the President has a budget. We've got to continue moving forward, and that is exactly what this organization allows us to do. It brings Democrats and Republicans together to have a conversation, to listen to one another and to solve problems. We're not going to agree on everything. In fact, in divided government, it isn't necessary that we agree on everything. You want to have all the ideas, but we're not asking anyone to give up their convictions. What we are asking, though, is for us to listen to one another, to hear the ideas that are being put out there and then to find common ground so we can start working together on that common ground, moving forward and addressing the challenges that our Nation faces. We don't have to look too far back in our history to see how this works. The great Speaker, Tip O'Neill, was able to work together with President Ronald Reagan to not only address some of our debt and deficit but to also strengthen Social Security. President Bill Clinton was able to work with Speaker Newt Gingrich to not only balance our budget but to create budget surpluses. Now, the American people expect us to start working together. I grew up in a country that always talked about what we could do, that focused on the challenge of the day. It is time that we start coming together as Democrats and Republicans, and it's time we start solving problems. That's why I'm so glad to be here and to be a member of the Problem Solvers and a cochair of the Problem Solvers.

Mr. BERA of California

Mr. BERA of California. Mr. Speaker, this week we're celebrating National Nurses Week. As a doctor, and on behalf of physicians all across this Nation, I want to salute the over 3 million registered nurses for their service to our patients. The partnership between physicians and nurses is critical to ensuring America's health, and this partnership will become even more important as we move to contain the cost of health care. America's nurses will be key to making sure that every patient in America has access to affordable health care. So on this National Nurses Week, this doctor chooses to salute nurses everywhere for their service to America's patients. Thank you.

Mr. BERA of California

Mr. BERA of California. Mr. Speaker, last week, a team from Mira Loma High School in Sacramento won the National Science Bowl for the third time since 2009. Hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Science Bowl was created to encourage students to enter science and mathematics careers. I want to congratulate these talented and hardworking students from my home district. They represent America's future. They are our country's next generation of innovators. We must continue to inspire our students to excel in fields like science and math. We need to make science cool. To Jack Gurev, Daniel Shen, Siddharth Trehan, and Saaket Agrawal, you guys make us proud. And, Coach James Hill, keep inspiring the next generation to go into science and math. It's cool.

Mr. BERA of California

Mr. BERA of California. Mr. Speaker, I have the pleasure of being cochair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus on Healthcare with my colleague from California, Representative Barbara Lee, who happens to be here in the Chamber as well. I'd like to take this opportunity to recognize National Minority Health Month. Despite medical advances that save many lives in our country, there's been limited progress in ending the racial and ethnic disparities in health. Groups like Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders have higher rates of diabetes, certain types of cancer and obesity, conditions that are expensive to treat and have lasting consequences. In my district of Sacramento County, we have a large Hmong population. Some cancer rates in the Hmong are 16 times higher than in the White population, and their cancer is much more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage. That's one reason why this month I introduced the bipartisan resolution recognizing National Minority Cancer Awareness Week with my colleague, Representative Rodney Davis. We must invest in research, innovation, and diagnosis to end this disparity. I celebrate National Minority Health Month.

Mr. BERA of California

Mr. BERA of California. It's core to our job, Mr. Speaker, to pass a responsible budget. That's job number one. A budget tells us how we're going to be stewards of the taxpayer resources. One of my first acts in Congress was to cosponsor the No Budget, No Pay Act. We now have a budget that the House has passed; we have a different budget that the Senate has passed; and the President has submitted his budget. It is now time for us to go to conference. Mr. Speaker, I ask you to appoint conferees so we can get a real budget and start moving this country forward. That is core to our job. We must produce a budget in order to start addressing our debt and deficit and making sure that the public understands what our priorities are. Mr. Speaker, now's the time to act. I ask that you appoint conferees, and let's get this country moving forward.

Mr. BERA

Mr. BERA. Mr. Speaker, this week, over 300 individuals, community leaders from my hometown of Sacramento, came out here to share with us their vision of how we move forward. They came here on the 43rd Annual CAP to CAP visit. This is the largest trip of its type. Here's what those community leaders asked. They wanted us to understand the number one job for us to do is to create jobs, to get America working again. They wanted to make sure we invested in the innovation economy, and they wanted us to do what we've always done historically, rebuild our infrastructure. For us back home that means rebuilding our levees, our roads, and our highways. They want Washington, D.C., to start getting about the business of pushing this country forward. I applaud these community leaders because this is exactly what citizen-led democracy looks like. Mr. Speaker, I applaud the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce for their leadership, and I look forward to the 44th Annual CAP to CAP next year.

Mr. BERA of California

Mr. BERA of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Pleasant Grove High School boys basketball's team for recently winning the Division 1 State Championship. In their hard-fought victory, they displayed sportsmanship and teamwork and became the first local team to host the Division 1 State Championship. When forward Matt Smreker was asked about the victory, he told reporters: We don't have the biggest names, but we play hard and together with great chemistry, and we won because we're a team. Matt was right, the Eagles won because they were accountable to each other. The dedication and commitment of the players, coaches, fans, and parents made this victory possible. The teamwork displayed by the Pleasant Grove boys basketball team is an example for Washington. In Congress we need to work together and hold each other accountable and work as a team. Congratulations again to the Eagles for your tremendous victory.

Mr. BERA of California

Mr. BERA of California. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to celebrate Equal Pay Day as we mark the 50th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act. In the last 50 years, women have gone into space and off to war. They've led Fortune 500 companies and served on the Supreme Court. They've been elected Speaker of the House and run for President; yet women still earn only 77 cents for every dollar a man earns. In the Sacramento area, women lose approximately $2.2 billion each year because of this pay gap. Now, that's unacceptable and as a father it's personal. I want my daughter to grow up in a country where her gender is not a barrier to her success. And the wage gap doesn't just hurt women; it hurts families, businesses, and communities. Women are now nearly half of our workforce, and oftentimes it's up to women to put food on the table and provide for their families. That's why I'm a proud cosponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act, one of the very first bills I chose to cosponsor. It's time for us to finish what President Kennedy started 50 years ago and what women have been working to achieve for more than a century and make equal pay a reality for millions of Americans.

Mr. BERA of California

Mr. BERA of California. Mr. Speaker, over the past several weeks, I've been talking to my constituents and I've been talking to former patients about the importance of Medicare and how Medicare has impacted their lives, how they've relied on it. As a doctor, I've taken care of thousands of patients, patients who have worked their whole life paying into a system so that they could rest easy at a time when they needed their health care. They wouldn't have to worry about it. This is a value and a program that has served millions of Americans for decades. They've come to rely on Medicare. It is a program that works. It is a program that we've come to rely on as doctors. Let me make it even a little more personal than that. Let me tell you the story about my parents, who came here as immigrants over 50 years ago. My mom was a public school teacher and my dad was an engineer and a small business owner. They got up every day. They went to work. They paid into a system over a lifetime so that when they needed their health care, they could rest easy. They knew they had a Medicare system. Let me even make it more personal. Over these past few years, my dad is in his late seventies and he has needed knee replacements. He was able to get them. His doctor was able to order the care that was necessary to take care of him. A few months ago, my mom suffered a mild stroke. My dad didn't have to hesitate about whether she could get health care or not. My dad could pick up the phone, call 911 and get her to the hospital. She was able to get the care that was necessary that millions of Americans count on. Her doctor was able to come and see her. Her doctor was able to order the postoperative care that was necessary. That is why millions of Americans rely on Medicare--so they can rest easy at a time when they need that security of health care. It is a system that works. It is a system that working men and women in America pay into over their lifetimes so that, when they're at their most vulnerable, they're able to get the care that they need. I've seen it time and time again as a doctor. Let me share a story with you. As a young intern in my training as a doctor in internal medicine, one of my first patients was a Roman Catholic priest, Father Mike. It was my first month working in a hospital and doing my rounds in the intensive care unit. Now, Father Mike was afflicted with ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Father Mike would be in and out of the hospital, and would be devastatingly sick. For those of you who know about Lou Gehrig's disease, it is a progressive illness that slowly deteriorates and eats away at your body. It takes away your muscles and your ability to breathe. So, over the course of 2 years, I would see Father Mike repeatedly going in and out of the intensive care unit. He needed that care to keep him alive. Without Medicare, he wouldn't have been able to afford the care. Now, let's ask ourselves as Americans: What are our values? Our values are that we take care of our seniors, that we take care of our parents and grandparents, and we want to honor them after a lifetime of work. That is who we are. Those are our morals as Americans, and that is why I'm on the floor of the House of Representatives today to talk about how important Medicare is, not only for my parents but for parents throughout this country, for grandparents throughout this country, and also for that next generation that is currently paying into the system. I'm not alone. My fellow colleagues in medicine care about this deeply. With that, I would like to recognize my colleague, a fellow physician from California, Dr. Raul Ruiz.

Mr. BERA of California. I thank my dear friend and colleague from California, Congressman Honda. The reason why we are here today, the reason why we are speaking on the floor today, is because of the importance of Medicare. This isn't a Democratic or a Republican issue. This is an issue that affects all Americans. It's an issue that is dear to all Americans, to all American families. It isn't Democratic or Republican. That's why I'm wearing this pin that says, ``No Labels.'' Because we've got to move past these labels, Democrat versus Republican, and think about what our values are as Americans--the values of making sure we take care of our parents and grandparents, that we honor the foundation that they built for us, that those that came before us built; that we honor, after a lifetime of work, after a lifetime paying into a system, that they can rest easy, that they know they can get the health care that they need when they need it the most. That's why we want you to share your stories with us about how Medicare has impacted you personally or your family. I think about this and the thousands of patients that I've taken care of, and what Medicare has meant to them; how it saved millions of lives, how it's kept millions of families from falling into poverty because they were able to get the health care that was necessary when they needed it the most. Another one of my constituents, Katherine, shared a story with us recently. Katherine had a sister who was diagnosed with lung cancer and chronic lung disease. At first, she was hesitant. She was a little bit worried about using her Medicare because she didn't want to be a burden. She wanted to be independent. But she looked at it and she realized she had paid into this system her whole life and was grateful that it was there for her. She realized that she wasn't being a burden and that this is the system that she had paid into, and it was there for her. Medicare covered her bills and kept her alive. That's why we're here on the floor today talking about Medicare. When I talk about this, it's personal. I talk about this as a doctor. I talk about this as a son whose parents are aging. I think about the people who live in my neighborhood, like my neighbor, Jerry. He's a widower. His wife passed away several years ago. Jerry's also a cancer survivor. He has to go in for routine blood transfusions and routine care. He doesn't have to worry about whether he can get that care or not because of Medicare. Because he paid into the system his whole life, now he can get the care that he needs. Millions of families across this country depend on Medicare. That's why we're here talking about protecting Medicare. And that's why we want to hear your stories about how Medicare has impacted your life. I would love to here those stories and want you to share them on Facebook or Twitter. Medicare allows patients that I've seen--patients with diabetes, with high blood pressure, with high cholesterol--to get the medications that they need. Medicare allows me as a doctor to write those prescriptions and know that my patients are able to get the care that they need. Medicare is not about Democrats versus Republican. It is about doing the honorable thing that we do as Americans. Because that's who we are. Those are our values as Americans. As Americans, we want to make sure that after a lifetime of work, we're going to protect the promise that we made to our parents and grandparents. And I know it's not Democrats versus Republican because you can see it in that picture of when the Tea Party first emerged in this country in 2009. They were holding up their signs saying, ``Keep your hands off of our Medicare.'' You know what? I'd say the same thing. As we go through these budget debates, let's keep our hands off of Medicare. Yes, we've got to address the cost of health care. But as my colleague, Congressman Honda shared, Medicare works extremely well. It's a program that has worked for decades. It is a program that has allowed me as a doctor and has allowed countless doctors across this country to deliver the necessary care when we needed to and to do what we were trained to do--to be doctors. That is why I'm on the floor today talking about how we protect that promise that we made to our parents and grandparents, and how we protect and honor the promises that we've made. Yes, we face challenges in this country. Yes, we have to address our debt and deficit. And we have to build for the future so our children grow up in the same vibrant world that we grew up in with a country that's leading the way. But we can't do that by breaking a promise that we made to our parents and grandparents. We can't do that on the backs of seniors, taking care away from them when they need it the most. This has to be bipartisan. Because how we treat our elders, how we treat our parents and grandparents, is a direct reflection of who we are as Americans. We need to start talking about this in a bipartisan way. We need to shelve the idea of dismantling Medicare and we have to talk about the idea of strengthening Medicare, making it more secure so that it is there not only for today's seniors but that it is there for the generations, that it is there for our children and grandchildren. It is a system that works extremely well. Yes, we have to talk about the cost of health care. We have to address the cost of health care. But Medicare isn't the problem. Medicare works extremely well. Ask any senior. Eighty percent of seniors love Medicare. They don't want to see it changed. They don't want to see this body messing around with Medicare. They want us to strengthen it, and they understand that we have to deal with the cost of health care. But the system of Medicare has delivered care extremely well. That's why I'm on the floor asking you to share your Medicare story. I'm asking you to share that story on Twitter or share it through Facebook. Because this body needs to hear those stories. This body needs to understand that Medicare is a vital program for millions of seniors, that our parents and grandparents depend on this program, and that our doctors and our hospitals depend on Medicare. Now is not the time to be talking about dismantling Medicare. Now is the time to be talking about how we strengthen Medicare, how we make sure it's there for the generations. That's why I'm on the floor today, as a doctor but also as a son whose parents rely on Medicare. That's why I want to hear your stories, and I want you to share your Medicare story on Facebook or Twitter. I now yield to my great friend and colleague from the great State of Oregon. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. BERA of California. Thank you, Dr. Ruiz. I urge Americans to share their stories. I urge them to share the importance of Medicare and how they rely on it. Share the stories about your parents and grandparents. I urge the Members of this body to share their stories. We all have parents and grandparents. We all care about this program, and we all have stories to tell. Just today, in my office, I had a colorectal cancer survivor come to visit. She talked about how her cancer was diagnosed early because she was able to go get a colonoscopy--because she was able to get the preventive care services that were necessary. She would not have been able to do that had she not had access to Medicare, had she not had access to basic cancer prevention. That is what's at stake here--making sure that our seniors, that our parents and grandparents, have access to that care when they need it the most. That's why I'm on the floor here today, because we have to protect Medicare--a program that has worked for decades. It is a program that we rely on, so I want to hear your stories about how we protect Medicare and make sure it's there for generations. This is a program that has worked time and time again. Let me even share another story of patients that I've taken care of. I've taken care of hundreds of men and women who do physical labor-- construction workers, folks who get up every morning and go to work. They don't make a lot of money, but they pay into a system. I'd encourage every American to pull out their paychecks and take a look at them, and you'll see right on there that you're paying into the Medicare system. Even those who are 25 or 30 years old are paying into the system. Why do we do that? We pay into the system so that, when we need our health care, we're able to get it. That's what we do as Americans. We know we're in this together, that we care for one another. That is the beauty of Medicare. As I'm working today, I am paying to make sure that my parents and grandparents have the health care they need so that, when I need that health care in retirement, when I'm a senior, I can get it, and so that I can rest easy and not have to worry about that. That's why we are encouraging you to share your stories. We want to hear your stories about how Medicare has impacted your life and why it is so vital that this body protect Medicare and strengthen Medicare. Share your stories with us on Facebook or Twitter. I would like to now recognize my colleague, the distinguished gentlelady from Florida (Ms. Frankel).

Mr. BERA of California. Thank you, Congresswoman Frankel. You know, I look at this whole issue from the eyes of a doctor. That's how I have to, that's how I was trained as a doctor. One of the first rules we take when we are sworn in as doctors, the oath and the promise that we make is to do good, benevolence. That is core to what we do, and that is core to what this body needs to understand. This is not about Republicans versus Democrats. We need to come together to do good for our parents and grandparents, to do good for our seniors, to make sure that we honor the promise that we made to them that after a lifetime of work that they would be able to get the care when they needed it the most. That they could rest easy and not have to worry about getting the care that they needed. Those are American values. Those aren't Democrat versus Republican. We need to start setting aside that partisanship. And as to the oath I took when I became a doctor and was sworn into the field of medicine, we need to do good. We need to have the courage to put our patients and American citizens first. That is what this is about. That is why I'm on the floor today talking as a doctor about the patients that I've cared for. Now, I've heard from others that I represent. Tina shared a story with me. Her father died a few weeks ago after spending a month in the hospital. Medicare meant her family never had to worry about what the cost of his care was during his illness. Medicare meant that her mother doesn't have to live a life in bankruptcy now, that she could rest easy that her husband was able to get the care that he needed. Medicare meant that they knew in her father's last days that he was getting good health care, that his doctors were able to give him the care that was necessary at the end of his life. Tina has urged me to fight every day to make sure that every family has the same peace and the same support and the same security that her family had and that she felt at a time when her father needed the care. That's what this is about. This is about doing what we do as Americans. We care for one another. We build a system where we're all in this together, where those of us who are working are paying into a system over a lifetime so that the seniors of today are able to get that care and that we pay it forward. Those are our values. Those are American values, and it's not Democrat versus Republican; and we have to get past this. As we are on this floor, as we're making votes, we have to think about those who came before us, our parents, our grandparents, the seniors who built this country. That is who we are as Americans, and that's why we want to hear your stories about why Medicare is so important. Share those stories with us on Facebook. Share those stories with us on Twitter. Let your Representatives know why it is so important you want us to keep fighting for Medicare every day. I'd now like to actually hear a story from my colleague, the distinguished gentlewoman from the great State of Ohio.

Mr. BERA of California. Thank you to my colleague from the great State of Ohio. That's why we are asking folks today to share their stories. We would love to hear your story about how Medicare has affected you or a family member or a friend. Share it on Facebook or Twitter. We want to hear those stories. This body needs to hear those stories. This body needs to make sure, when we're taking votes, we're voting understanding those stories. As a doctor, I took an oath to do good, to do no harm. Well, if Medicare becomes a voucher program, it will do irreparable harm to thousands of Americans, and that is not what we need. The reason why I'm on the floor today is to talk about the good that Medicare has done for millions of Americans. Americans, like another one of my constituents, Pat. She shared with us a story. Pat was a single mom. She worked hard her whole life and raised two kids on her own. Pat is now 77 years old. She has high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. She had to have open-heart surgery and afterwards was prescribed very expensive medications and cardiac rehabilitation. She had to get back on her feet because she wanted to be with her family. There's no way Pat could have afforded that surgery if she didn't have Medicare. There's no way Pat could have afforded the medications that she needed if she didn't have Medicare. There's no way that the doctors that cared for Pat would have been able to prescribe the therapies that she needed to keep her alive. That is what's at risk here. This is about protecting our seniors, making sure that after a lifetime of work, after a lifetime of paying into a system, that they can rest easy; that they don't have to worry about whether they can get the health care that they need when they need it the most, they can rest easy. That's why we want to hear your stories. Please share your story about how Medicare has impacted your life or your family's life on Facebook or Twitter. I would now like to yield to my dear friend and colleague from the great State of California, my home State, Mr. Honda.

Mr. BERA of California. Well, I appreciate my friend and colleague from the great State of Oregon. We've heard wonderful stories from all across this country tonight as my colleagues have shared their experience with Medicare, personal stories about what Medicare has meant to their parents. We want to hear your stories as well. Your Representatives on both sides of the aisle need to hear your stories of what Medicare means to you personally and to your families. Because Medicare is a promise that we've made to our parents and grandparents, to millions of seniors across this country. It is a promise that after a lifetime of work, after a lifetime paying into a system, you can rest easy. You don't have to worry about whether you'll be able to get the health care that you need at a time when you need it the most. This can't be a partisan issue. It can't be Democrats versus Republicans. Because we're all sons and daughters. We all think about our seniors. Those are our values as Americans. It isn't who we are as a Nation. We respect our elders. That's how we were raised. As a doctor, we rely on the importance of Medicare. We rely on the ability that at a time when our patients are at their most vulnerable, when they need health care, that I can write that prescription, that I can do the treatment or order that surgery when it's needed. That is the promise that we've made, and that's why we're here fighting every day. I urge this body, and I urge my colleagues, as we are looking to address the challenges of this Nation, we acknowledge and understand that Medicare is not one of those challenges. Medicare is one of the success stories of America. Medicare is a success story that has kept millions of Americans healthy and alive and giving them the care that they need. Yes, we face challenges. Yes, we have to address the cost of health care. But Medicare is a success story, and it is something that we should be celebrating every day. That isn't Democrat versus Republican; that is a success story of this body, and let's celebrate that. With that, I'll yield to my colleague from Oregon.

Mr. BERA of California. I genuinely appreciate my colleague from the great State of Oregon sharing these stories and the hard work that you've done on this. I know I'm coming up on the end of my time, and I appreciate the opportunity to talk about Medicare as a doctor and as a son and talk about the success of Medicare. It's something that we should be celebrating. I look forward to working with my Republican colleagues to hear their stories of how Medicare has impacted their lives, to work with them to strengthen Medicare, to make sure it is there, not only today, but it is there for the next generation and that it is stronger. We can do this. We know how to do it. Over the coming weeks and the coming months, as we address our challenges, I'll be coming to this floor to share those stories and those ideas of how we move forward as a Nation and how we move forward as Americans making sure we honor the promise that we've made, that after a lifetime of work, after a lifetime paying into a system, that our parents and grandparents, that our seniors can get the care that they need. With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BERA of California

Mr. BERA of California. Mr. Speaker, the latest Ryan budget is deja vu all over again, only this time it's worse for our parents and grandparents. It will turn Medicare into a voucher system, and leave millions without the health care they need and deserve. As a doctor, I've sat with these seniors when they're trying to choose between one medication or another, one treatment or another, and they can't afford it. This is just wrong. It's bad medicine. Our parents and grandparents did not work their whole lives paying into a system only to be handed a voucher that doesn't even cover the cost of needed care. If we work together, we can do better. We can lower the cost of health care. We must honor the promises that we've made to them, and make sure Medicare is secure and strengthened for the next generation. Mr. Ryan, don't pull the plug on Medicare.