Jan Schakowsky

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Absolutely.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Actually, when you ask the American people if you want either all private or all public or a choice of the two, the overwhelming response is that people want to have the choice of a private or a public. And so what we're doing now is building on what people feel comfortable with, and we certainly don't want to have people worrying that they're going to lose something that they feel pretty good about right now. So I think that the notion of having this competition between the two is the kind of plan that can move us forward to get everyone covered right now in the United States of America. We'll see how this multiplicity of choices actually evolves or turns out, or maybe it will be the thing that can last and be successful in providing all Americans with health insurance. But we're not in the business of scaring people that they're going to lose something that they find really works for them. Instead, we're in the business of giving people rational, good, quality choices.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. You know, we've heard horror stories for years about how insurance companies hire people who are essentially told, at least on the first ask, just to deny the procedure, to just say no. And there was, I remember a very brave doctor who ended up working for an insurance company and denying a procedure for somebody who actually died. And she came to cleanse her soul, to essentially apologize; left that company with enormous amounts of guilt, and said that that's how the business operated. And what we're trying to create is a health system, a health care system, not one that is designed to make anybody a profit. It's to keep people healthy. And that's what I've said to an insurance company that said, well, you know, how are we going to compete? I said, look, the object of this policy discussion is to figure out how are we going to provide health care to Americans. The goal, you know, if companies can make money doing that and working within the system that we prescribe, God bless them. That's what we're heading toward right now. But the goal is not to figure out how to maintain their high profits when it's done at the expense of the health care of millions and millions of Americans. That's the bottom line.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Actually, that is exactly what we are talking about, making sure that everybody has a plan at least as good as the Members of Congress. It can be even better. Our Federal employee benefit plan, we have a choice of only private insurance companies that we can pick from. I think maybe people think that we have--and I'm certainly not complaining. We can pick a good plan, but it is not like Cadillac insurance. We pick among a number of different insurance policies, some better, some that provide less coverage, depending on how much you want to spend. But what we will give people is something as good as Congress gets, and I think better, if there is this choice of a public option.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. I've heard their CEOs get paid pretty well, too.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. I was on FOX News not too long ago, and they said, Well, how do you know that the government is going to be able to really provide health care and it's not going to just be another big expensive bureaucracy? I said, Well, you know, we don't have to guess about it. We can just take a look at the record of the provision of health care. It's not just the low overhead cost. You go into a room of older Americans, 65 and older--and I am proud now to have my Medicare card. I just got it last week--and you say, Republicans or Democrats, do you think that we should just get rid of Medicare and send you out into the private market--actually, that's what we did with the prescription drug program--and there isn't going to be a person in that room who would support that kind of idea. I mean, people are longing to get old enough, hoping to make it until they get on Medicare because it really is a very effective program. Could it be better? It could be even better. We could have a Medicare prescription drug plan, and that would be a whole lot better than a private plan.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. So what's the answer? How many?

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Let me just say one thing. Senator Whitehouse said that this is not a Harry and Louise moment; this is a Thelma and Louise moment. You'll remember in the movie that they were driving toward a cliff. Actually, as the President pointed out when he said it, they fell off the cliff . We don't want to drive off a cliff, but that's where we're heading right now in this country with health care. The kind of plan that gives the choice to Americans and that allows all Americans to be covered will keep us from falling off the cliff and more. It will make our society much more healthy.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. It's absolutely baloney.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. You know, we're still hearing those same arguments against the public health insurance option. They're saying: Do you want the government standing between you and your doctor? Do you want the government telling you when you can go to the doctor? That's just baloney.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. There are a lot of people who, quite correctly, feel as if health insurance is for the healthy, that if you get sick, forget it. It is not always there for you. We all know that.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Let me just say, first of all, I don't know what a catastrophe smells like. But I think a lot of people out there are getting that whiff of what a wreckage the current so-called--we don't really have a health care system. It is kind of a hodgepodge. I did want to say, talking about even our Federal plan, between 2007 and 2008, 14 different insurance plans dropped out of the Federal employees plan. And so thousands of Federal employees who have a plan like we do had to look for new coverage. And so when you have got a public option, it is going to be there. It is not going to go out of business and you have to search around for something to replace it.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. I don't know the exact number. I am not going to make a guess. But I think it's overwhelming that people feel that the government needs to be a player here in providing health care.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague and physician from the Virgin Islands for yielding to me. I rise in strong support of H. Res. 192, a resolution in recognition of National Nurses Week. I too would like to thank Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson for introducing this bill, along with Representative Lois Capps and Representative Carolyn McCarthy, all nurses in this body, for sponsoring this resolution and for their steadfast commitment to honoring nurses and highlighting the importance of estimated 2.9 million nurses to our health care system. As we move forward with health care reform discussions, we must continue to listen to nurses. Nurses will fight for improving patient access to quality care. And it is nurses who will advocate for more preventive and primary care providers to help reduce the need for costly inpatient care. And it is nurses who will fight for appropriate nurse staffing ratios to reduce medical error and to cut down on the number of readmissions to hospitals. We all know about the shortages in primary care professionals, especially nurses right now; and as we move toward health care reform and bring more people into the system, we certainly are going to need more nurses. There are about 500,000 nurses out there who have left the profession for many, many reasons, but one of them is because they have very stressful working conditions. So as we celebrate National Nurses Week, we need to think about that. One of those issues is to reduce the number of patients that each nurse has to take care of these days. The patient/nurse ratio is so high, there are so many patients that they have to take care of, that many have just said, Can't do it. And so I think the best way we honor nurses is to look at ways we make conditions in the hospitals, in their workplace, much more amenable to them because they are the frontline people. Right now when our loved ones have to go to the hospital, many feel they need to have an advocate with them because when the button is pushed calling for the nurse, sometimes they are not there, not because they don't want to be there, but because they are in the next room or the next room and not able to get to their patients. Madam Speaker, it is important that Congress recognize and celebrate our nurses during National Nurses Week and throughout the year, and throughout the years to come. Our nurses stand up for us, and I am honored to stand up for them.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Chicago Community an Fund (CCLF) on receiving the 2009 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. I would also like to commend the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, another exemplary Chicago institution, for its ongoing investments in knowledge, the arts, public policy, conservation, and justice. Their grants support diverse areas with critical needs. For example, other recipients of the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions included groups working on natural resource conservation in the Caribbean, defense of human rights in the Don Region of Russia, and the promotion of equal justice and the rule of law in Nigeria. CCLF is one of three U.S. organizations, and just eight worldwide, to receive the prestigious award, which recognizes implementing creative, effective, and ultimately successful approaches to diverse challenges. Through targeted lending to non-profit and for-profit community development organizations, CCLF works in low- and moderate-income Chicago neighborhoods to preserve and create affordable housing, develop social services infrastructure, and spur economic and commercial development. The Fund's presence is key for small and midsize real estate developers and non-profits in Chicago looking for low-cost, flexible financing. CCLF also offers technical assistance to its borrowers and works to promote sustainable building design. CCLF and the other award-winning institutions are also notable for their ability to achieve substantial impact with limited resources. CCLF's borrowers have leveraged $36 million in loans into $808 million from public and private sources, resulting in the preservation or creation of over 1,000 jobs and 5,200 homes. CCLF is also part of the Preservation Compact, an initiative supported by the MacArthur Foundation, which has the goal of preserving 75,000 affordable rental homes in Cook County by 2020. CCLF has created a revolving loan pool to help developers save up to 2,200 such units. CCLF plans to use its $500,000 award to enhance its lending activities and to promote sustainable building technologies in its community development initiatives. I would like to offer my sincere congratulations to the Chicago Community Loan Fund for its exemplary and forward-looking strategies to preserve and build affordable housing, promote sustainable economic development in low- and moderate-income areas, and bring good jobs to Chicago.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. I thank the gentleman for yielding to me. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of the Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act. According to a recent report, foreclosures in Chicago doubled from 2006 to 2008 and continue today. It was Chicago's 50th Ward, a solidly middle class community where I grew up, that saw the highest increases in foreclosures, 360 percent in just 2 years. When most people walk into a mortgage closing, they bring with them the hopes and dreams of their futures and those of their children and the full intention of being responsible homeowners. But actions by unscrupulous and downright predatory lenders put many Americans into loans that they couldn't afford, and the consequences are clear. This bill offers protections for homebuyers that are long overdue. I'm one of many to have worked for years on this issue, including our late and beloved Stephanie Tubbs Jones. We wrote legislation that would stop predatory lending in the mortgage industry, including requiring certification of brokers and enactment of basic consumer protections. And this critical bill builds on those efforts to create standards for lenders and mortgagers. I'm also pleased that this measure includes Mr. Ellison's bill to provide additional protection for tenants of foreclosed property. The foreclosure crisis for renters has been mostly a hidden consequence, but in States like Illinois, New York, Nevada, foreclosures on rental properties have represented nearly half of all foreclosures, uprooting families and wreaking havoc on communities. I want to thank Chairman Frank and Mr. Watt and Mr. Miller, and I urge all my colleagues to support swift passage of this measure.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1913, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act. I am a cosponsor of this legislation because we must do all that we can to protect those who are injured because of their gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, or disability. Hate crimes can occur in any community--even one as wonderful and diverse as mine. On July 4, 1999--when we should have been celebrating the welcoming and embracing traditions of our great country, my district was rocked by the killing spree of the white supremacist, Benjamin Nathaniel Smith. This madman left us grieving for Ricky Byrdsong, a former Northwestern University coach, a well-known community leader, a deeply religious man, a man who was committed to his family. His only crime was the color of his skin--he was African- American. Smith also murdered Won Joon Yoon, an Asian American student from Indiana. The bill we are considering today takes an important step toward making America a more just society, by closing a glaring loophole in our justice system that prevents the Federal Government from prosecuting cases where women, gay, transgender or disabled persons are victims of bias-motivated crimes for who they are. These crimes not only devastate victims and their family and friends, but they devastate the community to which the victim belongs by creating fear and intimidation. Hate crimes chip away at the very foundations of what it means to be an American--that all people are created equal and are afforded the same freedoms and protections. America must no longer ignore hate crimes of any kind. Everyone, regardless of race, sexual, orientation and gender identity, must be equal in the eyes of the law. The passage of H.R. 1913 will send the powerful message that America stands for tolerance and inclusion, and is opposed to prejudice in all its forms. I want to thank my good friend, Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, and the entire LGBT Equality Caucus for their tireless work to get this bill passed and urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' to H.R. 1913.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, on Sunday, April 19th, over 10,000 people gathered in Skokie, Illinois, joining special guests President Bill Clinton, Elie Wiesel, and Governor Pat Quinn to celebrate the grand opening of the new Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center. President Obama personally offered his congratulations on a recorded video. I had the great opportunity to participate in the opening of this beautiful new museum, which will share the history of the Holocaust and teach the importance of combating hatred, indifference, and genocide to current and future generations across the Midwest. Skokie, located in my district, is a community that knows the importance of preserving memories and teaching history. In the wake of World War II, the community offered an attractive haven to Jewish families, including Holocaust survivors searching for a new life in America. Between 1945 and 1955, an estimated 3,000 Jewish families came to Skokie, building a vibrant Jewish community. Children who grew up in Skokie during this time recall daily life carrying an underpinning of trauma. They share stories of parents unable to sleep, panicking when their children returned home late, and refusing to take showers. However, while they describe seeing tattooed numbers on arms as commonplace, the Holocaust wasn't something survivors wanted to talk about. Many Skokie Jews remember not knowing which of their friends had survived gas chambers. That changed in the mid-1970s. In 1976, neo-Nazi Frank Collin threatened to march in the town, distributing fliers proclaiming ``we are coming'' and telling the Chicago Sun-Times, ``I hope they're terrified.'' Survivors, who had worked for decades to rebuild a sense of personal security, suddenly found themselves threatened once again. The people of Skokie, led by the survivor community, fought back against Collin. The case ultimately went to court and, after uproar from around the world, the march was held elsewhere. In the wake of those events, Chicago-area survivors founded the Holocaust Memorial Foundation of Illinois, a group dedicated to fighting hatred through education. The group has educated school and community groups since 1981, and the first museum was opened in 1985. In large part due to the organization and advocacy of the survivor community, in 1990 Illinois became the first state where Holocaust education is mandatory. Today, there are an estimated 7,000 Holocaust survivors still living in the Chicago area, and as many as 1,000-2,000 of them currently live in Skokie. Most are now in their 70s, 80s, or 90s. Like the town of Skokie itself, the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center would not have been possible without their active involvement and input. Its permanent exhibits show hundreds of artifacts, many which have been collected in recent years from local residents. The museum will also present thousands of video interviews with survivors, conducted and donated by Steven Spielberg and his Shoah Foundation. Madam Speaker, the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center may be one of the last Holocaust museums to be built in collaboration with survivors. The new 65,000-square foot museum will have the capacity to serve over 250,000 annual visitors, and will teach countless people, young and old, the importance of actively fighting hatred and prejudice. In a world where genocide continues, despite decades of pledging ``never again,'' these are priceless lessons.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, today we find ourselves in the grips of recession. As of is morning there were 5.7 million Americans without a job and we should be doing everything in our power to save jobs--and create new ones. Today, I am introducing the Patriot Corporations of America Act, which encourages corporations to invest in the American people and the American economy. In this time of change we should lift the spirit of patriotism and create a new corporate ethic in America--one that unites workers and their employers in the mutual goal of building a stronger, more prosperous business that will contribute to a stronger, more prosperous America. Since the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, we have benefited from the great work and contributions of countless American patriots and Congress has always undertaken efforts to honor those men and women. The Patriot Corporations of America Act continues that tradition by rewarding companies that commit to America and American workers. It angers Americans, and it angers me, when companies outsource jobs and relocate to avoid giving back to the country that afforded them the opportunity to succeed. Companies that continue to send American jobs abroad during these difficult times should not receive the same benefits as companies who are keeping jobs right here. It is time for the United States to reward companies that show a dedication to the American workforce. The Patriot Corporation Act will move us along the path to recovery, while simultaneously giving a hand-up to ``patriotic'' companies that are struggling in the midst of a recession. Bill Edley, a former State Representative in Illinois, and political scientist Robin Johnson of Monmouth College, introduced a new idea of turning the tables around with the Patriot Corporations of America Act. It would reward companies, like New Maryland Clothing and Tama Manufacturing, that care about our Nation, our communities, and American workers. I am honored to be introducing this commonsense concept in the form of legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. In exchange for preferential treatment in government contracting and a 5% tax rate reduction, Patriot Corporations would be asked to pledge their allegiance to our country by producing at least 90% of their goods and doing at least 50% of their research and development in the United States. They would limit top managements' compensation to no greater than 100 times that of their lowest-compensated full-time workers. They would show their commitment to their workers by contributing at least 5% of payroll to portable pension funds and by paying for at least 70% of the cost of health insurance plans. Finally, Patriot Corporations would simply be required to comply with existing federal regulations regarding the environment, workplace safety, consumer protections and labor relations, including maintaining neutrality in employee organizing drives. Mr. Speaker, the Patriot Corporations for America Act would be revenue neutral. It would be paid for by closing corporate offshoring loopholes that have been exploited and, if necessary, reining in some of the new tax breaks for millionaires. Patriot Corporations would create a new class of companies committed to uphold the dignity and prosperity of American workers as well as to selling their goods on the American market and around the world. Patriot Corporations are an expression of the American spirit of our fore fathers and mothers when they took that brave step of declaring our independence and creating the United States of America. I'm confident that between the Recovery Act and legislation like the Patriots Corporation Act--America will emerge stronger from this recession. I am honored to be introducing this bill today and I encourage my colleagues to join me in saluting American businesses and workers.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. I think I've been waiting for this budget, this opportunity most of my adult life, certainly, all of my public life. Budgets aren't just about numbers. They're about visions and values, and to me there is no more important value than this budget's commitment to guaranteed, affordable, quality, comprehensive health care for all Americans. No sector of our economy is immune from the twin problems of rising health care costs and declining access. Virtually no family in our country is immune. 47 million Americans are uninsured, but they're not the only ones struggling. Over half of all Americans are delaying, foregoing or skimping on necessary medical care. The consequences are serious. Businesses, especially small businesses, are being forced to lay off long-term staff, cut or eliminate benefits, or even close their doors because of health care costs. And this budget also makes room for improvements in Medicare, providing reasonable payments to doctors, and improving the quality of care for our seniors and persons with disabilities. Some in this body have spoken against health care provisions in this budget because they say the cost is too great. But the American people know that the cost of maintaining the status quo is even greater and more unsustainable. We can and, going forward, we will debate on how to achieve reform. And I'll be working hard to give everyone the option of choosing a public health insurance plan. But if we don't pass this budget now, we will miss the historic opportunity to finally make sure that every single American will have access to the affordable comprehensive health care that we all need.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. I thank the gentleman for yielding. As cochair of the Congressional Caucus on Women's Issues, it gives me great pleasure to rise in strong support of H. Res. 211, Recognizing March As Women's History Month. I want to thank Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey for introducing this resolution, and to acknowledge our own woman Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. Women's History Month is about recognizing the achievements of women throughout our history, while also acknowledging the significant obstacles they had to overcome along the road to success, and the many we still face. I want to thank President Obama for creating, this month, a high-level White House Council on Women and Girls. Our women's caucus, which is cochaired by my friend and colleague, Mary Fallin, is dedicated to addressing those challenges by supporting legislation and developing policies through our eight task forces. And I want to thank my sisters in the House for making history that will lift women and girls in the United States and around the world. We, as the more privileged women of the United States of America, see ourselves as part of an international sisterhood, where women in places like the Congo are facing a weapon of war that is low cost and low tech called rape. We are concerned about our sisters here in the United States who are victims of domestic violence and discrimination in the workplace. We understand all these challenges, but we have seen women throughout history, fierce and strong women, who have stood up to those and overcome those challenges, and we want to acknowledge those women on whose shoulders we stand and to pledge in their memory to go forward on their behalf.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Globally, women work two-thirds of the world's working hours and produce half of the world's food, and still we earn only 1 percent of the world's income and own less than 1 percent of the world's property. Of the 300 million people living in poverty, 70 percent are girls and women. Millions of women and girls are trafficked, physically abused, sexually abused, or face the threat of violence every day. Although Congress passed the PROTECT Act to prevent trafficking in Iraq, Darfur, Afghanistan and many other places around the world, we still see that women and girls tend to be the targets of extreme violence, brutality, and intimidation. So, Mr. Speaker, it's important that Congress recognize the importance of March 8. I am so glad that we passed this resolution. I am grateful to the Congress for recognizing International Women's Day, which we just celebrated on March 8.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. I thank you, Mr. Chairman, for yielding to me. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Human Rights Commission, I am proud to rise today in support of this resolution on behalf of the people of Tibet. I also want to take this opportunity, because I just returned from the White House, where the President of the United States created a White House Council on Women and Girls and acknowledged the recent March 8 passage of International Women's Day. And while I was there, I am very grateful to you, Mr. Chairman and to the House of Representatives, for passing the resolution in support of International Women's Day and would like to take this opportunity to speak to it for just a couple of minutes. I want to thank Representative Mary Fallin, the lead Republican cosponsor and the Republican co-chair of the Women's Caucus, for her tireless support and work to bring this resolution to the floor. It's been my pleasure to work with her on this bill, and I am sure it's the first of many that we will work together through the caucus, where I am the Democratic co-chair, to advance the goals of women. Also, I would like to acknowledge the caucus vice-Chairs, Representative Gwen Moore, Representative Kay Granger, and I am honored to have this resolution be the first of the must-pass legislative agenda items to make it to the House floor with such remarkable bipartisan support. Each year countries around the world mark March 8 as International Women's Day, as a day to recognize the contributions and impact that women have made to our world's history, to recognize those women who have worked together for gender equality and to acknowledge the work that is yet to be done. Over the years, women have made significant strides. All over the world and throughout history we have, they have consistently contributed to their economies, participated in their governments and improved the quality of life of their families and of their nations. In 2007 Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi was elected the first woman Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2006 I attended the inauguration of Michelle Bachelet, the first woman President of Chile, and visited the Liberian President, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, the first woman president in Africa's history. In the 111th Congress, we have an all-time high of 74 women in Congress, a 35 percent increase from just 8 years ago. But women still only make up about 16 percent of the House of Representatives. In the U.S., we have made significant strides in education. Women now graduate from high school at higher rates and earn bachelor's or higher degrees at greater rates than men. While American women earn more high school and bachelor's degrees than men, two-thirds of the 876 million illiterate individuals in the world are women. Two-thirds of the 125 million school-age children not attending school worldwide are girls. Girls are less likely to complete school than boys elsewhere around the globe. Women are making progress in business and make up 12 percent of the current CEOs of the Fortune 500 companies, but, still, a long way to go.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to announce the introduction of the Inclusive Home Design Act. This critical legislation will make more new homes accessible, or inclusive, for people with disabilities. I want to thank my colleagues Sam Farr, Madeleine Bordallo, and Jim McGovern for joining me today as original cosponsors of this legislation. I would also like to thank Eleanor Smith of Concrete Change and Beto Barrera and the staff of Access Living for their tireless efforts to move this legislation forward. This legislation is supported by the Paralyzed Veterans of America and many other national and local disabilities rights organizations. Currently, only five percent of new single-family homes and townhouses built with federal assistance require any design features that make it possible for people with mobility impairments to live in or even visit the homes. The remaining 95 percent are built with unnecessary architectural barriers. The Inclusive Home Design Act is based on the concept of integrating basic accessibility features into newly-built homes and builds on the movement of establishing ``visitability'' standards. Visitability is an affordable, sustainable, and inclusive design approach that will improve the availability of accessible housing for individuals with mobility impairments, including disabled veterans and seniors. Specifically, the legislation would require all newly-built single- family homes and townhouses receiving federal funds to meet four accessibility standards: First, there must be at least one accessible, or ``zero step,'' entrance into the home. Second, the doorways on the main level of the home must be wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair. Three, at least one bathroom on the main floor must be wheelchair accessible. And finally, light switches and thermostats must be at a reachable height from a wheelchair. Adopting these standards for a single family home is not prohibitively expensive. The average added cost for homes built with accessibility features is between $100 and $600. Retrofitting a home, on the other hand, can cost several thousand dollars. Architects and builders would also have latitude in how they comply with the act. For example, the zero step entrance can be placed at the front, side, or back of the home. The accessible route can even go through an attached garage. In addition, the zero step entrance requirements can be waived if the terrain makes compliance impractical. When homes are accessible, it benefits not only today's disability community but also all of us who have friends and family members with disabilities. Accessible homes also benefit many people who are not currently disabled but may experience a temporary injury or permanent disability during their lifetimes. In fact, 3 out of 10 people will face a disability before age 67. In addition, by making more new homes accessible, we also make it possible for more seniors to age at home--an issue that is increasingly important as the population grows older. In 2000, there were 30.5 million people between 65-84 years old; that number will grow to 47 million by 2020. 58 percent of people over the age of 80 suffer from some kind of physical impairment. Often, the prohibitive cost of making existing homes accessible deprives seniors of their independence and pushes them into nursing homes. Allowing more people to age at home will both save taxpayers money and help improve the quality of life for our seniors. Many towns and states have already incorporated visitability standards. This list includes Chicago, Naperville, Bolingbrook, and Urbana, Illinois; Atlanta, Georgia; Iowa City, Iowa; St. Petersburg, Florida; Pima County, Arizona; Vermont; Texas; Kansas; Minnesota; and others. The United Kingdom also passed a law in March 1998 mandating that every new home become accessible. A federal law in the United States will build on the momentum that has already been created. Passage of the Inclusive Home Design Act would mean that all homes built with federal dollars would be accessible, and the number of homes available for people with disabilities would be greatly increased. I am looking forward to working with my colleagues to pass this legislation, the Inclusive Home Design Act, into law.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Last week, President Obama submitted a budget that expresses his commitment to transforming health care in America. Tomorrow, he will gather Members of Congress, consumers, business men and women, and health care providers at the White House to discuss how to achieve the common goals he laid out in the budget, ``constraining costs, expanding access, and improving quality.'' The economic crisis we face is not a cause for delay, it is an argument for comprehensive reform. The need for action couldn't be clearer. Every percentage increase in the unemployment rate means another 1.1 million Americans becomes uninsured. Over half of all Americans, many of them insured, are doing without medical care because of high costs. Emergency rooms are being forced to turn away patients, and businesses that cover their workers are struggling to be competitive in the face of rising premiums. We must assure that all Americans are covered and give each a choice of a public health insurance plan or private plan that provides comprehensive, affordable and high-quality care. The time to act is now.