Charlie Rangel

Mr. RANGEL

Mr. RANGEL. I yield myself 30 seconds, Mr. Speaker, because the gentleman who just spoke said that the Democrats didn't listen to the Republicans. Having had the honor to serve with outstanding Republicans on the Ways and Means Committee and having, as chairman, had hearings last year and throughout, quite frankly, there wasn't much to listen to until last Tuesday when, for the first time, you presented a bill. In any event, I appreciate the gentleman's contribution.

Mr. RANGEL. I yield myself such time as I may consume. We have been designated as one of the three committees to work on this bill for the President and for the House of Representatives. And we were privileged to work with Chairman Waxman as well as Chairman Miller. I don't think in the history of the Congress we have found three separate committees working in such cooperation. But as I said earlier, we had such hardworking, dedicated members and such a strong support staff that it's almost embarrassing that they are so limited in sharing with you the work and the time and support that they've given to this important issue for the Congress and for our country. In any event, I have to admit, as Chair, there was one member that I relied on so much. He is the gentleman from California who since 1984 served and continues to serve as the chairman of the Health Committee. And so it is with a great deal of pride that I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Peter Stark).

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin). If there is a moral issue, I would like to be on his side. (Mr. LEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 90 seconds to the gentleman from the sovereign State of Georgia (Mr. Lewis), the true voice of justice in this Congress.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 90 seconds to a true expert on our country's law system and tax system, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal).

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Leader, you've been here long enough to truly understand how this system works. As soon as we pass this bill, then we would expect the Democratic- controlled Senate to pass their bill. Then we will go into conference, and we will work the will of the majority in the House. We had no idea that you would expect that a Member, especially one that you spoke in such glowing terms of as you have about me--that you would expect me on this floor, in front of all of my friends and colleagues, to guarantee you anything. I think any Member who gives a guarantee might be in violation of our ethics laws, so I wish you would kind of take a look at this before you would ask these questions.

Mr. RANGEL. Well, I haven't normally cut any deals with you as a Republican, but why don't you talk to someone on your level in the House leadership as you have in the past?

Mr. RANGEL. You asked me a question.

Mr. RANGEL. All I am asking, as long as you have been here, have you ever had any Member--

Mr. RANGEL. Have you ever gotten a guarantee like that from anybody since you have been here? No. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to Mr. Thompson of California. I thank him for the great contribution he has made to this bill that we present.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley) and thank her publicly for the great contribution she has made to this bill.

Mr. RANGEL. I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Schwartz) and I would like to publicly thank her for the many hours that she put in on H.R. 3200.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to my friend and leader from the great State of New York (Mr. Crowley). (Mr. CROWLEY asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 90 seconds to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell), and thank him for the great job he has done for the committee.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis).

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 90 seconds to a hardworking member of the Ways and Means Committee from the sovereign State of New York (Mr. Higgins).

Mr. RANGEL. At this time, I yield 90 seconds to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Yarmuth).

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 1 minute to the Congresswoman from California (Ms. Lee), who is the chairperson of the Congressional Black Caucus and has done such a great job on the question of diversity as well as other parts of the bill for women.

Mr. RANGEL. I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New York, Congresswoman Velzquez. (Ms. VELAZQUEZ asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. RANGEL. I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Michigan, Congresswoman Kilpatrick.

Mr. RANGEL. Thank you. I yield 1 minute of that to the gentleman from the great State of New York, Gregory Meeks.

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield 1 minute to Congressman Conyers, the distinguished dean of the Congressional Black Caucus, senior Member of this great House of Representatives, and someone that had indicated his concern about health care from many, many years ago.

Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield for the purpose of making a unanimous consent request to Mr. Faleomavaega, my friend from Samoa. (Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. RANGEL. I yield myself 2 minutes. This is it for the members on the Ways and Means Committee and others that have demonstrated such outstanding leadership to be a part of history. It's unfortunate that we were unable to create an atmosphere of bipartisanship because, certainly, the 40 million people that are without health insurance, we can't distinguish between those who are Republicans and those who are Democrats. Clearly, we had enough information of the number of people that were in the congressional district, all of our congressional districts, that had no insurance at all. I am more than certain that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have heard the very same stories we have: people who thought they were insured and they were not; people who wanted insurance and they would not insure them because they had some condition; other people who worked hard every day of their lives, but were not given insurance and they can't afford to buy it. No, this isn't the Pelosi plan. This is a plan for all America, a plan to make us proud to know that our country is concerned about us and our children and our grandchildren. And, yes, the American Medical Association, AARP, and everyone is throwing papers around. But these are the groups, the national groups, that have asked America and this Congress to step up and fulfill our responsibility. And it's not just for our constituents. It's for our great country, to have her as strong as she can be, to be able to know that we can compete with any other nation no matter what part of the world that we're in; and that our workforce will not only be educated and talented in order to compete, but we will be healthy. Every industrialized country takes care of their people. It's not a political thing. Certainly here it's not a Republican or Democratic thing. It's, Are we going to be healthy? Are we going to be strong? Are we going to be certain that when you count America, count her among the healthy. Madam Speaker, I want to bring to the floor an outstanding Member of Congress who is the subcommittee Chair on the Education and Labor Committee. As you know, three committees had jurisdiction and Education and Labor had jurisdiction. We had three chairmen. But we had one subcommittee chairman who has just been outstanding. He's been a friend of those without insurance, a friend of those who look forward to this bill's being passed. So it is with great distinction that I yield the balance of my time to Mr. Robert Andrews from New Jersey, and I ask unanimous consent that he be allowed to control that time.