Donna Edwards

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Madam Speaker, it's past time to boost sustainable job creation by making strong commitments to our Nation's education and infrastructure. The results of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act actually prove the point, but it can't be a one-shot deal. The hemorrhaging of jobs has stopped. In fact, jobless claims fell last week by 29,000. But now it's time to send all our people back to work. We can't do it on the cheap, and every State across our Nation has to be included. We need investments in plants and equipment to bring our manufacturing capacity into the 21st century before the rest of the world outpaces us. And let's find the political courage to buy America in order to build America, encouraging our businesses to create jobs here at home and not ship them abroad. We need sustained investments in vocational and technical training, community colleges, and retraining to grow a workforce to retain our competitive edge. And we have to foster innovation and creativity among our small businesses and entrepreneurs. Madam Speaker, our economic future relies on the strength of our education and the breadth of our opportunities. We must act quickly or risk being left behind.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my condolences to the family of Jack Murtha and to pay tribute to him. As a relatively new Member of this body, I knew Jack Murtha only briefly, but I am so grateful even for that. One day very early in my tenure here in Congress, I needed some guidance on a military issue, and everyone told me I needed to speak directly with Mr. Murtha. I have to admit I was just a little bit intimidated. It wasn't just his size and the boom of his voice and his upright carriage, but I knew he knew stuff and that he could guide me. But to my great surprise, Mr. Murtha was so wonderful to me. His advice was sage, his generosity was unlimited, his inquiry was precise, and his kindness and gentleness were truly genuine. And from that moment forward, I am honored to have been guided by his good counsel. I can still see on occasion when I sit in the Speaker's chair a twinkle from his eye, and when it got a little rough, a little bit of a nod from that back corner. On a personal note, Jack Murtha remembered that I grew up in a military family, and he asked me about my father's and my brother's service and my experiences growing up. And I talked to him about being a candy striper and reading to our service men and women at veterans' hospitals. And I know that he cared deeply about our servicemembers and about their families and about the special obligation that we owe to them. He understood more than so many the call to service and the importance for political leaders to carry that at the forefront of all of our decisions on questions of war and peace. And his passion was so evident. And I know that my family and all of our servicemembers and their family members are so much better off because of Jack Murtha's service in this body, his service to our Nation, his commitment to them and to their service. And so I am really grateful, Jack, to have even had just a moment in time with you, and I only hope that in my service here in the United States Congress, I can carry myself forward with the kind of honor and duty and courage with which you served.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, during the State of the Union message last month, the President reminded us that he inherited a true economic mess and that job losses have been reduced dramatically due to actions by the Democrats in this Congress and his administration. At the end of the Bush years in January 2009, 800,000 Americans lost their jobs. But by contrast, after just 1 year of economic recovery policies from Democrats in this Congress and President Obama, 20,000 people lost their jobs in January 2010. Make no mistake, any jobs lost are important to the people who have lost them. But we're on the road to recovery. The philosophy that ``a rising tide lifts all boats,'' though, does have its limitations. So we need an economic and industrial policy in this country that creates jobs for the future for the long term and to put those who are newly unemployed and the chronically unemployed back to work. In short, we need to embrace our clean energy future for sustained job creation, economic growth and innovation, and let's use our taxpayer dollars to buy American, to build American.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. That's correct.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Chairman, I'd like to yield 30 seconds to the chairman, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon).

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Chairman, I would like to just conclude by saying that it's really important that we get this right at every level because of increasing threats to our cybersecurity, both internationally and here domestically. And I urge, again, my colleagues for careful consideration and approval of this amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Madam Chairman, I want to take this moment to thank Chairman Gordon and Ranking Member Hall and Representative Lipinski for their hard work on this really important bill and for consideration of this amendment. I probably, like lots of Americans, have faced the circumstance, even in this last month and a half, private information compromised first at a bank, then at a Federal agency, and then at a retail establishment, all within the span of a month and a half. Threats such as identity theft, denial of service attacks, worms, viruses, the loss of sensitive information, and other malicious activity are a part of the ever-evolving cybersecurity threat to our country. It's important that we act swiftly to prepare our Nation for these threats and to anticipate the threats that we'll face in the years to come. It's not an easy task. We operate on a system of databases throughout this country that interact at the Federal, State, and local level and in the commercial sector. This bipartisan bill really accomplishes all of these goals. And further, the amendment that I'm offering really encourages the National Institute of Standards and Technology to work with other Federal Government entities, State governments and the private sector partners to develop a framework that States may follow as they strengthen their cybersecurity standards. One of the weaknesses identified as our committee marked up this legislation is the lack of collaboration between various entities concerned with cybersecurity. The underlying bill takes major steps to address this, but I believe that my amendment strengthens these measures and will lead to States that are many times on the front lines to make major progress toward keeping their networks and information safe; and, of course, that does trickle down to the local level and out into the commercial sector. In my home State of Maryland, we just made a major commitment to cybersecurity, as many States have across this country, with varying standards of operation and security around the country. This amendment will ensure that States can use their resources much more efficiently. Security requirements and priorities are unique to each State and often times unique among government entities in the same State. My amendment recognizes this and allows States and the standards to adapt with the changing threats and needs. Madam Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment because we must encourage collaboration and innovation as we aim to address the multiple threats to our cybersecurity. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Madam Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, Justice Brandeis got it right: democracy or wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but not both. And that's truer today as the United States Supreme Court just wiped away decades of legal precedent, allowing corporations to spend unlimited money from their treasuries in our elections. The American people already believe that corporate special interests and their lobbyists run the show around here. I mean, the halls are crawling with them. But that's not enough. Now the Court says to the big banks, the credit card companies, the drug companies and to the insurance companies, Hey, all bets are off, and it's open season. Our elections are for sale. So that's right. If the corporations don't like what this Congresswoman is doing, they'll just forget the voters, buy TV ads, send robocalls, send a lot of mail, and beat her in November. A law won't fix this. We have to fix it in the Constitution. So today I will introduce a constitutional amendment so that we, the people, can take back our elections and our democracy. This is not the People's House, Incorporated. We are the people. It's our House, it's our Constitution, and it's our elections. And we intend to take it back from the United States Supreme Court.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, during the Bush administration, the unemployment rate nearly doubled. We hemorrhaged millions of jobs, including 743,000 jobs that we lost in January 2009 when President Obama was sworn in. They made the mess, but we have to fix it. Thankfully, this President and the Democrats in Congress have put measures in place to stabilize our economy and to begin to create jobs for the more than 15.3 million people who are unemployed. To those who are actively seeking a job but who can't find one, the economy has begun to move again. We have extended unemployment. We have extended COBRA benefits for those who are unemployed to help them make ends meet, but that's not enough. We have to continue that until we stabilize the economy significantly and until unemployment falls. During this Congress, we've really helped our job creators: small businesses. We have to do more for them to make sure we steer equity and investment to start-ups in high-growth fields like clean energy and information technology, and we have to strengthen microlending from the Small Business Administration. Look, we are not finished until millions of Americans who want to go to work go back to work. Our job isn't done until Americans achieve the American Dream.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. I would like to thank Chairman Berman for yielding. I rise today disappointed that I am here to support the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act. I am disappointed because it's the extraordinary lack of cooperation and duplicity on the part of the leadership in Iran that brings us to that point. Though I share many of the concerns expressed by the opposition, like many, I was hopeful at the beginning of the year with the new President and administration that we would approach Iran differently and that the leaders in Iran would respond likewise. Sadly, the leadership of Iran, particularly following their flawed elections, has been anything but forthcoming and cooperative. They have thwarted the international community. They rebuffed a viable plan for transfer of low-grade uranium and materials for a true civilian nuclear capacity. They have led the world community along with the belief that they were negotiating fairly and with integrity. Instead, they are pursuing enrichment. This posture on the part of the Iranian government is both unfortunate and misguided, attempting to test President Obama's resolve and commitment to transparency, deterrence and accountability. It's my hope that our actions today will enable additional leverage for President Obama and his team within the governing multilateral institutions and negotiating countries. I think the Iranian leadership has to understand that the United States is both serious about engagement and accountability.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act because it eliminates the discriminatory insurance industry practice of charging women higher premium rates than male customers for the same insurance benefits. This practice, known as ``gender rating,'' leaves women burdened by higher insurance costs. In fact, women are charged 25-50 percent more than men for comparable insurance benefits. For decades, insurance underwriters have tried to justify this disparity by asserting that women use more health care, especially during child-bearing years. This claim is contradicted by the reality that many women are denied insurance coverage for maternity care and even denied coverage based on a history of prior pregnancies. Further, female nonsmokers pay more for health insurance than men who smoke. In a recent study, more than half of women (compared to 39 percent of men) reported delaying needed medical care due to cost. Gender rating is prohibited in the individual market in 10 States (Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, and Washington). Two States have ``rate bands'' that allow 20 percent variation in charges (Vermont and New Mexico). Twelve States ban gender rating in the small group market, including my home State of Maryland (as well as California, Colorado, Minnesota, Michigan, Montana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, and Washington). H.R. 3962 ends the discriminatory practice of gender rating in all States and ensures that women and men are charged equitable prices for premiums. As a life-long advocate of women's rights and a domestic violence prevention advocate, I support this ban on gender rating and support equal access to the insurance market for women.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in recognizing the 25th anniversary of Rev. Jackson's candidacy for President. He is a strong iconic voice for civil rights and social justice. It was his unwavering determination and leadership that inspired me to take action, first volunteering in 1984 and then again in those cold, snowy days in New Hampshire 4 years later. Rev. Jackson's historic campaigns forever changed the political and social landscape of this country. He brought people together across the rainbow, regardless of social and economic status, race or religion, who shared a common vision for this country where everyone could achieve the American dream. Without question, Rev. Jackson's run 25 years ago laid the foundation for us to realize the rainbow in 2008 by electing Barack Obama. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Rev. Jackson. And I salute his efforts that continue to this day for the least among us. Rev. Jackson, today we are reminded that no trail is blazed alone.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I object to the anti-choice amendment brought forward by Reps. Bart Stupak and Joseph Pitts. The Stupak-Pitts amendment goes beyond the scope of current law and effectively prohibits private insurers in the health insurance Exchange from offering insurance plans with abortion provisions. This amendment prohibits the use of federal funds from covering any part of the costs of any health care plan that includes coverage of abortion coverage, even if federal dollars do not go towards an abortion procedure. This amendment truly undermines the spirit of health care reform by rationing women's care and taking away current benefits plans that include abortion coverage. This amendment strips women's legal right to abortion procedures and turns back the clock on decades of legal precedent and legislation. This is a procedure that some women must consider in the interest of their health. This is a choice that no one, not a Member of Congress, or government official should make for a woman. This is a woman's choice that must be preserved. A woman's reproductive choice has been recognized by the Supreme Court of this country, and honored by the citizens and lawmakers of this country. Please oppose this amendment and protect women's health.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, how quickly we forget. Last year at this time the Nation faced the worst financial crisis in decades, shedding over 600,000 jobs a month. We knew that unemployment was going to get worse before it got better. This is little consolation to the millions of Americans who are currently unemployed, facing foreclosure, or forced to take multiple low-paying jobs to make ends meet. Earlier this year, we took unprecedented action by passing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The impact of this legislation is growing more evident each day across this country, but it's not enough, especially if you don't have a job. It's time for us to focus on creating jobs that enable Americans to take care of themselves and their families. We must engage in long-term job creation, continuing the Recovery Act to rebuild our roads, bridges, water, sewer, and energy infrastructure to compete in a global economy. We must open credit markets to enable the real job creators, small businesses, to grow and hire. Mr. Speaker, as millions of Americans continue to suffer, I ask us to get busy creating jobs and move quickly to pass a bill that will create hundreds of thousands of new jobs and make critical investments in our infrastructure.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this amendment.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this historic legislation. It is the most historic in a generation. H.R. 3962 will indeed change the face of health care in this country. This bill really is not about partisanship and it's not about politics, but it is about the American people; and it's time for us to deliver on our promise to them. As I've listened to my colleagues today talk about why this bill is good for their districts for the uninsured, for men, for women, for our seniors, I'm reminded that I was indeed once one of those uninsured. As a young mother, I became so sick that I collapsed in a grocery store, and I was taken to an emergency room. Without health care insurance, I was treated. I was one of those uncompensated. Now it's time for me to pay the American people back with a vote for comprehensive health care reform. This bill will take the burden off providers and Americans for paying the cost of uncompensated care and safeguards for the health of all Americans. It lowers costs and ends discriminatory insurance industry practices such as denying women coverage for pregnancies or a history of domestic violence. Mr. Speaker, it's time for us to have the courage to rise above our pecuniary interests.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Democratic bill because it eliminates higher premiums for women who are more likely than men to have chronic diseases or to be disabled.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Madam Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise today to honor the life and memory of Colonel Todd Hixson. Colonel Hixson passed away tragically and unexpectedly on Sunday, November 1, 2009, in Silver Spring, Maryland. Along with so many other brave men and women, Colonel Hixson served for many years in the United States Marine Corps. Just a few weeks ago, he returned from his most recent tour of duty in Iraq. I feel privileged to honor such a courageous son of the State of Maryland. With a heavy and sad heart, I offer my sincere condolences to the family of Colonel Todd Hixson. He was the son of the Honorable Sheila E. Hixson, Maryland State Delegate; and my thoughts and prayers are with her and all of Colonel Hixson's family and friends at this time. I would also like to call attention to the flag flying over our Capitol today in honor of Colonel Hixson, and it is with great pride that I stand here before my colleagues to pay tribute to him. His courage, bravery, and dedication to his country and family serve as an inspiration to us all. I wish peace to the family and friends of Colonel Todd Hixson, and I thank him for his service to the United States and the State of Maryland. On this Friday before Veterans Day, we honor Colonel Hixson's memory and all our veterans and service men and women and their families who make their greatest sacrifice for each of us.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. I want to just communicate that it's really important for us to get it right, and I appreciate the leadership of Chairman Berman. I look forward to us working in the future for something that actually does lead to peace. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my sincere disappointment that my colleagues and I are once again in a tenable position on such a critical issue facing our country, facing our ally Israel, the Palestinian people and the global community. This resolution, H. Res. 867, is the wrong resolution at this time. The U.N. General Assembly takes up this business tomorrow. Our Nation will be speaking in defense and support of Israel. It is important to note, that while we are united in our support for Israel and the Palestinian people, this Congress gets one shot to address the shortcomings of the mandate for the inquiry and the pitfalls of the Goldstone report. We also get only one shot to call on the Palestinians and the Israelis to conduct their own independent inquiries, to stand up in defense of human rights and international law, and to investigate wrongdoing by all parties with the objective of ensuring that it does not happen again. David Ben-Gurion once said, ``without moral and intellectual independence, there is no anchor for national independence.'' I believe that Israel operates under that spirit today; I am encouraged that there is a robust dialogue within the country over the Gaza war. It is important that this dialogue continues and Israel is allowed to pursue the rule of law unhampered. Now is the appropriate time for the Palestinians to take additional steps to eschew violence and operate with moral and intellectual independence. This will provide additional support to their calls for national independence. They can do this by conducting their own inquiry and investigate the allegations against entities in Gaza. I say this is the wrong resolution because it fails to call for independent investigations by the Israelis and Palestinians. This was our opportunity to get it right and when this resolution passes, we will have gotten it wrong. It will be a missed opportunity to move closer to achieving a two-state solution. Regrettably, in this flawed process, we are tarnishing the reputation of one of the greatest advocates for human rights of our time, Justice Richard Goldstone. As a member of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, I believe we should have, and the oversight committees of jurisdiction should have extended to Justice Goldstone the courtesy of inviting him to present his findings on the record. We didn't. We did not extend to the Israeli Government the courtesy of explaining, on the record, the shortcomings they find in this report. By not taking these actions we have now been forced to consider a poorly constructed resolution at the eleventh hour just before our U.N. delegation presents its case to the General Assembly. Further, this resolution actually calls on the administration to not go to the U.N. tomorrow as it is so broad that it calls on the President and Secretary of State to ``oppose unequivocally any endorsement or further consideration of the Goldstone report in multilateral fora''. Unfortunately, these mixed messages and inconsistencies damage this resolution and the lack of due diligence risks a diminished reputation of this body in the international arena. As I stand right now I want to communicate to the United Nations that enough is enough: It is inappropriate to create a mandate that is so easily impeachable. However, I find it difficult to abide with a resolution that I find so deeply flawed and as one-sided as some suggest of the Goldstone Report. I know that these issues are difficult, and I want to thank Chairman Berman; while I disagree with many points in this resolution, I appreciate his leadership on this issue. I appreciate that we will be standing united behind our President as we work toward a lasting two- state solution to find peace for Israel and her people and a homeland for Palestinians.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my sincere disappointment that my colleagues and I are once again in a very untenable position on such a critical issue facing our country, our ally Israel, the Palestinian people and the global community. House Resolution 867 is just the wrong resolution yet again at this time. The U.N. General Assembly takes up this business tomorrow, and I think it's really important for us to note that the Congress gets one shot, one shot, to address the shortcomings of the mandate for the inquiry, the pitfalls of the Goldstone Report, and one shot to call on the Palestinians and Israelis to conduct their independent investigations and to stand for human rights and international law. David Ben-Gurion once said, ``Without moral and intellectual independence, there is no anchor for national independence,'' and I think we should heed that today. I say it's the wrong resolution because it's our opportunity actually to get it right in a new direction for the Middle East. Regrettably, in this flawed process, we are tarnishing the reputation of one of the greatest advocates for human rights of our time, Justice Richard Goldstone. As a member of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, I believe we should have and the oversight committees of jurisdiction should have extended to Justice Goldstone the courtesy of inviting him to present his findings on the record. We didn't. We did not extend to the Israeli Government the courtesy of explaining on the record the shortcomings they find in this report.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Madam Speaker, In recognition of October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, I would like to thank the United States Army for the work it has done lately to raise awareness about domestic violence. So many resources are expended ensuring that our soldiers are equipped to fight wars abroad, however, upon their return, soldiers and their families should not be subjected to war at home in the form of domestic violence. It takes a community and an ongoing commitment to address the epidemic of domestic violence. No sector of society is immune from domestic violence, including the armed services. Fortunately, progress is being made by raising awareness about domestic violence and assisting families impacted by domestic violence. Yet, so much work remains to be done because senseless acts of violence continue to occur in homes and communities across America every day. The 2009 Army Domestic Violence Awareness Month observance theme is ``Make the Right Choice! Act to Prevent Domestic Abuse.'' This theme stresses the need for each person in the Army to know that he or she can do something to prevent domestic violence. For instance, the Army's Family Advocacy program is working hard to address domestic violence by providing counseling and other resources to Army families. A critical component of these prevention efforts is to support soldiers when they return home so that the effects of conditions such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or other reactions to the combat experience, do not contribute to domestic violence. These resources provide soldiers with the counseling and support they need to cope with the violence they were subjected to while at war. However, we know that PTSD does not cause domestic violence; we must direct resources to address the inter-generational cycle of violence and support victims in violent relationships. We must foster an atmosphere of no tolerance for domestic violence, no matter the rank or status of the perpetrator of the violence or that of the victim. I would like to take this opportunity today to join the Army in its commitment to educating soldiers and their families about domestic violence and recognize the collective responsibility of all of us to prevent domestic violence wherever it occurs. I hope we can all reaffirm our commitment to raising awareness about domestic violence, and most importantly, breaking the silence and stigma surrounding domestic violence. We do this by encouraging atmospheres of openness and responsiveness in support of victims instead of punishing them. The war against domestic violence is one that has waged far too long, but with ongoing commitment and hard work, we can win this war!

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of quality, affordable health care for all Americans. And finally we are actually going to get it done for the American people. For 139 days my friends on the other side of the aisle have promised health care reform, and now we think they have a bill but we haven't really seen it, and it's not real reform. So let's talk about what we're going to do for the American people and not just what is wrong and saying ``no.'' We're going to end discrimination for preexisting medical conditions. If you have experienced domestic violence or you've had an underlying condition, you will be able to get health care for yourself and your family. You won't be able to be dropped because you're sick. You won't have copays and deductibles for preventative care. This is what health care reform really means for the American people. And it's going to be affordable. It will provide credits for folks if your income doesn't quite get up there or you work for a small employer and the employer can't quite afford health care. We want to make sure that all the American people have the ability to achieve quality, affordable health care.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, we are closer than ever to achieving health care reform for the American people. I think it's really important for us to step back and examine the reasons that we want health care reform. Every day, every year premiums for Americans are going higher and higher, deductibles and copays higher and higher. Millions of people without health insurance, some 47 million people without health insurance, 14,000 people a day who lose their health care coverage. It's really unthinkable. And here we have an opportunity to do something that's very special and right for the American people. Now, Mr. Speaker, I haven't been in this Congress for six decades, but I do know that the idea of health care reform has risen and fallen for six decades. So it's time for us to make the kind of changes the American people thought they bought onto in November 2008. We are closer than ever to achieving that kind of comprehensive reform. We need to take a look at why we want reform. The American people want reform because they want to lower their health care costs. They know the cost of their premiums. It's not affordable for their families. Americans want health care reform because it's not fair that millions go without health insurance and many millions more are in danger of losing their health insurance. Our small businesses are struggling each and every day. They want to provide health care for their employees, but they just can't because they can't operate with a profit margin and provide quality, affordable, and accessible health care for their employees. So I am really struggling here with why my friends on the other side of the aisle have so resisted reform. I don't really believe that it's because they're such allies with the health insurance industry. I don't really believe it's because they're more driven by what works for the private market than what works for the American people, but I have to believe that all of us can get on one page about what's right for the American people. So, as we move into these days following many town hall meetings and meetings at senior centers with our seniors, as we talk to young people about the need for reform and as we meet with our business leaders, it's time for some real decision-making. If it's not going to come from my friends on the other side of the aisle, then the leadership and that decision-making has to come from Democrats. It doesn't matter to me, frankly, about one election or another, because it's about doing what's right for the American people. Now, I, along with hundreds of others of my colleagues, happen to believe that a robust public health option is important for the American people. I guess the question is: How many more are going to step up and have the courage to do the right thing? How many more are going to step up and say, You know what? Not only do we want to eliminate preexisting conditions and strengthen insurance provisions for everyone, but we want to lower costs, we want to create competition, and we want to make sure that there is real accountability in the system. Now, earlier this month, we had an opportunity to see the insurance companies and insurance industry completely unmasked. I mean their goals are very clear to the American people. Their goals are about maintaining the status quo because it works for them. Their goals are about maintaining the status quo because it satisfies their profit margins, and it satisfies their shareholders. The problem with that is that it doesn't satisfy the American people. So I'm ready to act. I know that, from the year 2000 until 2006, the Republicans controlled both chambers of the Congress and the White House, and yet we didn't do health care reform. So the opportunity for those of us in the majority today is actually to do the right thing by the American people. I'm excited about that. I know the American people are excited about it. If you look at the polls, and although polls may not be everything, they do give us a picture of where the American people are and of how they've moved. What those polls suggest is that, despite being beaten up and beaten up for months and weeks at a time, the public option has survived. The reason that it has is that I believe, like many of my colleagues, that the American people are smart. They get it. They understand what health insurance means to them. They know that, for children who are coming out of college and who are ready to strike out on their own, those children are no longer on their parents' health insurance plans, so there has to be affordable and accessible health care for those young persons as they strike out on their own in the workplace. For our small business owners who want to provide health care, they know that, in fact, the opportunity is there if we do it in the right kind of way, if we make it affordable for them and if we allow the small businesses to do what they want to do to invest in their communities. We also know that, for those Americans who don't have health insurance, we can't pass them up anymore. We can't pass up the 47 million people a year who are without health insurance. So, Mr. Speaker, I will close and say it's time for us to get on with the business of decision-making and to bring real health care reform with a robust public option to the American people.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, we are so close to achieving quality, affordable and accessible health care for all Americans. If we were playing football, the team in support of consumer choice, the public option, is in the red zone, and we are determined not to go three-and-out as we've done for the last six decades. At last, we are going to take health care reform with a robust public option right across the goal line. Yesterday, the Senate Majority Leader helped ``move the chains'' when he inserted a strong public option in the Senate health care bill. This move down the field positions us one step closer to meaningful reform. Now my colleagues in the House and I are keeping our offensive line strong in support of a robust public option, but it's time to score this touchdown for the American people, for the middle class, for working people and the young people, including those in the Hillside program at Central High School who bear the burden and brunt of this failed health care system. The status quo is unacceptable and it's a losing strategy. Including a robust public health option is real consumer choice; it's the logical option to scoring the goal and achieving success.