Sander Levin

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Madam Speaker, it is now my real privilege to yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) who has given decades and decades of service to this Congress, to New York, and to the people of America. (Mr. RANGEL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LEVIN. Madam Speaker, in terms of seniority and in recognition of all of his years of service, I would like to note that the gentleman from California (Mr. Stark) is going to be submitting a statement to the Record. And I am now pleased, it is a special privilege, to yield 1 minute to the very distinguished gentleman from Georgia, Mr. John Lewis.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, it is now my real privilege to yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett).

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York for a unanimous consent request. (Mr. MAFFEI asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LEVIN. Madam Speaker, it is now my privilege to yield 1 minute to the very distinguished gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal).

Mr. LEVIN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute. (Mr. LEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LEVIN. We come to the floor for thousands of votes each year, but no single vote comes with so many personal stories within our families and my own. In our districts, people have spoken out about the need for real reform. The millions and millions that have health insurance now worry about losing it. The average premium for employer-based insurance has more than doubled in the last 10 years. And I heard from a woman that had worked for a large company, started her own franchise, and she writes, ``I exhausted my COBRA, then joined a group health plan. Several years ago, I had open heart surgery. The group disbanded. No insurance company would touch me with a 10-foot pole. I am uninsured and was just diagnosed with my second episode of breast cancer, with no insurance.'' I heard from a young man diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 17. His disease went into remission. He started to work. He was laid off, uninsured, and when he started to get sick again, he had to turn to emergency rooms for care.

Mr. LEVIN. I yield myself 15 additional seconds.

Mr. LEVIN. I now yield the balance of my time, 45 seconds, to the very distinguished gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz).

Mr. LEVIN. I yield to the gentlelady from California for a unanimous consent request. (Ms. RICHARDSON asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. LEVIN. I yield to the gentleman from Minnesota for a unanimous consent request. (Mr. ELLISON asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LEVIN. I now yield to the gentlelady from New York for a unanimous consent request. (Mrs. MALONEY asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. LEVIN. I now yield 45 seconds to the distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis). (Mr. DAVIS of Illinois asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LEVIN. I now yield 45 seconds to the gentleman from Oregon, a member of the committee, Mr. Blumenauer.

Mr. LEVIN. I now yield 45 seconds to a very senior member of our committee, Mr. McDermott of Washington. (Mr. McDERMOTT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LEVIN. I yield 45 seconds--I wish I could yield more--to our distinguished colleague from Maryland (Mr. Van Hollen).

Mr. LEVIN. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah) for a unanimous consent request. (Mr. FATTAH asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LEVIN. I yield for the purpose for a unanimous consent request to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Etheridge). (Mr. ETHERIDGE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LEVIN. It is now my pleasure to yield 45 seconds to the very distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley).

Mr. LEVIN. I now yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell).

Mr. LEVIN. It is now my privilege to yield 1 minute to our vice Chair and the distinguished gentleman from California, Xavier Becerra.

Mr. LEVIN. It is now my real privilege to yield to another member, an energetic member of our committee, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kind). (Mr. KIND asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. I agree. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4887) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to ensure that health coverage provided by the Department of Defense is treated as minimal essential coverage, as amended.

Mr. LEVIN. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 4887.