Paul Tonko

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Absolutely. Thank you, Representative Pingree, for leading us in this hour of discussion because there have been many elements of fear that have been introduced into the dialogue, into the discussion--into the debate, if you will--that have been intending to, perhaps, mislead and misinform, and that is not what America needs right now. America needs a thoughtful, very meaningful discussion on health care--how to provide for certainty for our business community with predictability in their insurance costs--because I do believe most employers want to cover their employees with a sound, basic health care plan. So we also need stability and security. I think I would share with you the sentiments that we need insurance reform to address the concerns of America--and not just for the uninsured and underinsured. This discussion is as much about those of us who have insurance in hand. The stability and the security of that plan is at risk, so we need to go forward so there is no discrimination for preexisting conditions. I have heard, and I am certain you have and our colleagues have heard in the freshman class and beyond in the greater audience of this Chamber. We have heard from constituents about the horror stories of premium increases over a short span of 2 years. I'm thinking of a story where there was a 37 percent increase over 2 years, which was the situation for a couple, a married couple, where the wife of that couple had been impacted by a catastrophic illness. They were left then, Representative Pingree, with $18,000 worth of medical bills. It is a growing dynamic of bankruptcy for our American families. Health care costs are driving families to the edge with bankruptcy. We are also in need of reform that will make certain that there is no dropping your coverage simply because you become ill. That has been a game that has been played on our health care consumers in this country. It needs to stop. Our conference, our House, wants to make certain that those are some of the conditions that are brought about in the insurance reform. The refusal to renew coverage if you become ill is another obstacle in the way of providing universal health care coverage. Obviously, a big dynamic is changing jobs, perhaps starting up a small business on one's own. Oftentimes, they are not allowed to happen out there simply because of the concern for the portability of insurance coverage. Many are losing their jobs, and so 14,000 per day, if not more, are losing health care insurance because of the loss of a job. The list goes on and on. Making certain that there are no co-pays for prevention and wellness programs, these are concepts that are sound insurance reforms that can strengthen the system. Those who want to provide this message of doom and gloom and who want to use fear tactics are only taking us off track of what ought to be a very focused discussion on what needs to happen, because most world- leading nations offer a tremendous health care policy, and this country is in need of that reform. We have been talking about it for decades. Now is the time for action.

Mr. TONKO. To dispel some of the myths and to cast aside the misinformation. The American public deserves better than that.

Mr. TONKO. Representative Pingree, I can't help but wonder if that isn't the most classic and bold example of cherry picking. When I listened to Representative Kagen list that number of conditions, preexisting conditions, it excludes a great part of the populace out there. The time for these games is over. We talk about so many of the people that might be impacted by these preexisting conditions, from toddlers, over to middle age, and yes, even to our seniors. When I was in the State assembly in New York State for 25 years, for the longest time I represented the largest per capita senior population of any assembly district of the 150 in New York State, so I would hear routinely from seniors. I hear from those same seniors now in this congressional district, and there is concern. There is concern about where their future is going with health care reform. Well, let me remind all of our seniors out there, this whole process here in the House is about providing stability to Medicare. That is an audience that is critically valuable to this country, people who worked through their lifetimes and now deserve--I think it is an American right--quality health care. When people talk about fear tactics, telling people that your Medicare coverage is going to be weakened, let me remind everybody that the cuts in Medicare were up to 21 percent for next year for our medical community. This bill stops that. Our bill, our final package, will stop that sort of cut. Those payments to physicians would have put the doctor-patient relationship at risk. It would have reduced accessibility for our Nation's seniors. We will avoid that cut. We will provide stability by addressing the solvency of the trust fund for Medicare. We will go forward and close that doughnut hole. No one, these critics about this process, about the proposals that we have put forth to the American public, the critics that are there now, especially in the political arena, where were they when we played games with the pharmaceutical industry and created a doughnut hole where coverage stopped automatically and then resumed later after we have again impacted financially our senior population? You talk to seniors, many of them naturally are in need of medications, of pharmaceutical requirements. Why we would exhaust them financially for that basic core need of health care is beyond me. No one talked about that pricetag. No one talked about the billions of dollars we were going to cost the public and what we paid to the industries to do that. So there is a chance here to turn that around and close that doughnut hole. I don't know what we are going to call it. A jelly donut? We fill it with good, you know, so that people can then have the kind of health care and the pharmaceutical needs will be addressed. That is a basic stability enhancement that is provided with this measure. Avoiding the 21 percent cuts to physicians is an enhancement. Making certain that we provide these new models for efficiency; effective use of dollars; making certain that home models, medical home models, can be utilized, these are good concepts. And we want to go forward with the sounder Medicare situation, especially with the coming of the baby boomer generation. Everyone has talked about that. We need to make that part of our plan. It is part of our plan, where we provide stability and solvency for Medicare.

Mr. TONKO. Representative Pingree, I think that obviously there is a lot of discussion and a lot of focus on the cost. I think across the country, 15 years ago 61 percent of our small businesses provided employer-based health care. That's somewhere below 38 percent now. We hear the average cost of a family plan might be 12,000, 13,000, sometimes rising to 14,000, and people have seen record profits in the industry. We've seen and heard about the insensitivities here this evening anecdotally from various Members. You know, Representative Dahlkemper, Representative Kilroy, and yourself have all talked about these information tidbits that come our way. But I think what really struck me this weekend was the report that was released by America's health insurance plans, where they actually worked out a study, a report, commissioned a report, and they overstated the impact of the Senate finance bill that was voted upon today to overstate the impact on America's families of that plan. That's one solution that's out there. And I found it interesting that the firm that they hired to do the study actually backed away from the report because they said they fragmented it so. They asked them to do just tidbits, portions of that whole bill and then use that to calculate the impact. So it shows us, it tells us something that we're on to wringing the cost, the excess cost and the inefficiencies out of the system to the point where it's driving corporate greed to now respond in a way that's manufacturing these price tags that are, again, scare tactics to get us off of just and honest debate. And I think that that needs to be shared with the American public. The tax foundation came out with a plan, a review that said that our health care bill will save families, average working middle class families, $1,900 per year. Now, when they came up with this other study, when they fragmented it out, they didn't allow for the calculation of savings, corresponding savings that are part of the overall huge package of reform. And so it was, again, disingenuous. It was unfair to put something like that out there. But it does tell me, in very bold and noble terms, that there's fear out there that finally there may be a balancing of the scales, where the public will get their shot at good health care insurance reform and not at the expense of greed that has been allowed to run rampant, I think, for a long time.

Mr. TONKO. And I think, Representative Pingree, I think when we heard Representative Kagen, Dr. Kagen speaking about a standard, basic package that would be required if you want to participate in the exchange, how about, you know, the medical loss ratio that has dwindled over 15 years from 95 percent return of all premiums collected going back for health care purposes to now something below 85 percent, below 80 percent, perhaps. That is unacceptable. So the standards that we establish, you know, having this medical loss ratio defined, if you want to participate, basic core package, if you want to participate, hey, this is open to any and all. Government sets up the exchange. It stays out of that. The public option will have to sustain its own entity by its premiums. It will have to maintain a reserve. That is not what I would call unfair competition. They're all going to be operating under the same guidelines. And when we sharpen that pencil by requiring a robust public option, it drives the bottom line benefit for the consumer. We talk about small business and impacts and the future forecast and projections on insurance, today I think of some 430 billion that is the price tag paid by small business for health care provided by the employer. In 9 short years, absent nothing, that is supposed to go to $880 billion. This is a train wreck waiting to happen. And when you hear the options, when you hear status quo is the option that we should exercise, when you hear let's keep the system but provide more tax benefits so that employers can afford this, how much more is government going to write in terms of checks to keep this system going that is sweeping upward in a curve? We're not containing the costs at all. So this measure, to Representative Kilroy's comment, is an important way to contain costs, to Representative Dahlkemper's statement of wellness and prevention, by not allowing for copayments on those elements of the plan, that's an important bit of progress. And so I challenge anyone, come in here, talk facts not fiction. Come in here with sensitivity, not insensitivity, and let's really put this package together. It's a work in progress. It's been tremendous. I'm seeing the benefits that the freshmen class has brought to this discussion. I think it's uncluttered thinking. We've brought the debate into, I think, a really good setting so that we can move forward by adding our voices to this effort, and it's really a pleasure to work with my freshmen class.

Mr. TONKO. Just a quick statement. I know we're running to the end of our hour. Representative Dahlkemper talked about the concern at her local hospital. Across the board, hospitals are concerned, and uncompensated care is at somewhere between $57 and $58 billion a year. There's a savings immediately when we put together quality health care programs that are affordable, accessible, where we're providing universal health care. It's just a reasonable thing to do, and most importantly, it's the compassionate thing to do. Sometimes that gets lost in the discussion. There's this moral compass for America that we need to engage and we obviously are very proud to support what is the correct thing to do, and we have that responsibility here to enable all families in this country to have access and to be able to afford quality health care. Thank you so much for bringing us together, Representative Pingree.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to talk about how the health insurance reform will help our Nation's seniors. We have all heard about the dreaded Medicare part D doughnut hole-- the gap in prescription drug coverage that 7,300 seniors a year in my congressional district alone face. Seniors who fall in the doughnut hole must cover the full cost of their prescription drugs, forcing many to cut back on their prescription use. H.R. 3200 fills in the doughnut hole, shrinking it over several years until there is no interruption in prescription drug coverage for our seniors. Until the doughnut whole is completely filled, H.R. 3200 also offers discounts on brand-name prescription drugs to seniors who fall into that doughnut hole. H.R. 3200 also makes great strides in improving the care Medicare patients receive. It includes provisions that encourage doctors to spend more time with their patients and to check up with them more frequently. Accountable care organizations and medical homes in the bill will promote coordination of care amongst the different health care professionals and result in better health care outcomes for Medicare patients. I am proud to support this bill and encourage my colleagues to do the same

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York for yielding me this time. I rise in support of this resolution. I thank Member Kucinich for the outstanding work that he has done on this resolution. General Casimir Pulaski being designated as an honorary citizen of our country is a very valid and important resolution. This son of liberty, this patriot, lent his military expertise to more than just his motherland. It is obvious throughout this world he was concerned about promoting fairness and liberty, and he helped write in very sound terms American history. He helped make this country the great one that she is. Throughout my congressional district, throughout the State of New York, and indeed throughout our country, there are semblances of recognition of this great general. Streets, roads, bridges and, indeed, monuments bear his name that reflect the greatness of the individual. Polish Americans of this land throughout its history have made immense contributions, very valuable contributions to the betterment of America. Prime amongst them is this great general, one who helped write this history with his military expertise. Polish Americans have reached across many dynamics to make a sound difference in our great country. I rise in support of this outstanding resolution, commend the sponsor, and encourage my colleagues to do likewise.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, on Monday I had the distinguished honor of hosting President Barack Obama to New York's 21st Congressional District that I represent when he paid a visit to Hudson Valley Community College in the city of Troy. I want to extend my sincerest thanks to the President for recognizing that New York's Capital Region has become a leader in advanced technologies, has the ingredients to lead in the clean energy sector, and, most of all, for delivering a message that was full of inspiration and full of hope for a better future. Why did the President come to New York's Capital Region to deliver an address on developing an innovation economy? Because we are transforming a rusty manufacturing center that had fallen on hard times into a center for advanced technologies that will soon rival the Silicon Valley and Boston. That is being done with a combination of public and private investment in close partnership with many universities and community colleges throughout the area. The President touched on a few points that I have been talking about for years: an innovation economy built around three dynamics: upgraded human capital, infrastructure investments, and financial tools. We must retrain our workers to develop the energy and innovation economy of the future and leverage public funds with private investments to do so. If we are successful, this will lead to jobs such as wind engineers, advanced photovoltaic mechanics, fuel cell electricians, geothermal plumbers, technically trained teachers, clean room technicians, and many more. In Albany we have built a nanotechnology research center and college that have earned a worldwide reputation, which is already a precursor to products in a wide range of economic sectors, from health care to low-emission engines. In Schenectady, General Electric Global Research Center and Wind Energy Institute are leading an army of smaller companies and entrepreneurs in alternative energy development. GE also just committed to building an advanced battery plant in Schenectady that will add 350 jobs and create a new energy storage system for locomotives that will save millions of dollars on fuel and dramatically reduce air pollution. And just to the north of my district, in my colleague Congressman Scott Murphy's district, Global Foundries is constructing the most advanced chip fabrication plant in the world. Smart investments in research and development are leading to innovations that are creating new jobs that will lead to future growth, and that's a vision I share with President Obama for our entire Nation. We are engaged in a clean energy race, much like the space race of the 1960s. The nation that wins that race to develop clean, affordable, renewable energy and emerging technologies will achieve economic security and a broad base of jobs for generations to come that are higher-salaried jobs. And that brings us to Hudson Valley Community College, where programs have been created to train the area's workforce in semiconductor manufacturing, photovoltaic, geothermal, and wind energy. Community colleges like Hudson Valley Community College and the others in my district, Fulton-Montgomery Community College and Schenectady Community College, that will become the vital link between the innovations that will drive our new economy and the great-paying jobs that will lead to economic security for workers now and into the future. Community colleges will be where we train and retrain workers for the jobs of the future. The White House Council of Economic Advisers said in a recent report that in the near future, a degree from a community college will be in higher demand than 4-year degrees. But this effort doesn't start with college. We need to educate today's children for the jobs that will be there when they become adults. The Capital Region is ripe to offer a regional approach to technological training, starting from grade school all the way up. In fact, in the Capital Region of New York State, we have established a Tech Valley High School; and Hudson Valley Community College, working with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, is building a resource for training and educating the future semiconductor manufacturing workforce. We must use the tools at our disposal in our region to instill a sense of excitement and passion toward learning, especially in the disciplines of science, of technology, of engineering, and, yes, of mathematics. In Congress we are already laying the groundwork for our innovation economy, first through the Recovery Act, then through legislation such as the American Clean Energy and Security Act. Just last week we passed in this House the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, which will make college affordable for millions more Americans and help build a world-class community college system. Our future economy depends on our ability to educate and innovate. The challenges to lessen our dependence on foreign fossil fuels is an opportunity to create new industries, new jobs, and new economic security for all Americans, a vision that I share with our President and many of my colleagues. Our President's vision of an innovation economy is ripe in the 21st Congressional District.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Wouldn't you have expected the voice of advocacy out in the streets to scream and yell about that outcome when it happened just 5 or 6 years ago? But no one brought to the attention or carried any anger and expressed concern to the level that you hear today. And here is the situation we are attempting to correct, a wrong that was allowed to occur, and to close that doughnut hole to allow for more freedom and to have a sensible outcome. At one of my health care forums in my district during this August recess, I heard from people who were not taking medications simply because of that doughnut hole. I heard from a couple again who testified at one of our forums that indicated for cardiopulmonary purposes the husband needed to take medication. It was a preexisting condition so it denied them insurance coverage, and they couldn't afford out of pocket to pay for the medications. So she cheerfully shared with us that he simply doesn't take it. It has put undue stress onto the family. It has caused economic hardship, and they are without insurance. For those who would argue that that system should be maintained, I have my insurance, you go find yours, we are all paying. As Representative Pingree indicated, we are paying for that uncompensated care, and I believe that is to the tune of some $56 billion or $57 billion in this country. That is a huge savings that automatically flips over to a benefit if we do wise health care policy reform.

Mr. TONKO. Right. And I think the sensitivities that we need to show to these various audiences are hampered when people are including in the discussion items that are simply not in the bill, or fabricating them in a way where they suggest that there are outcomes that would be very destructive. So this has been a very unique effort because you are trying to share information with your constituents, which I think is valuable. They can constructively build this package with us. And at the same time, you have to dispel the myths and rumors and the misinformation so we can stay on that page of fact not fiction and do what is best for Americans, for all ratepayers and for all sectors of our economy. We earlier talked about small businesses. When you think of the benefits that come if they can have better bargaining leverage as small businesses, there is a benefit there. Our larger companies and industries haven't seen the growth in premiums that our small businesses have. They are some 18 percent greater than the larger business community. So what we need to do here is provide that benefit by pooling these resources, allowing for better leverage in bargaining for health care premiums to stay lower. Just with the report today that was issued, we had a growth in the last 10 years, New York State alone, they did a State by State measure, and 105 percent growth in premiums and a 44 percent growth in wages over a 10-year span. Now, Representative Connolly, I think we can all agree that is not a pattern that we can allow to continue because eventually the well runs dry, people become sicker, and the profit column is swelling for an industry that is standing between choices that should be made between a doctor and a patient.

Mr. TONKO. Thank you, Representative Connolly, for being a strong voice in this Chamber so as to move us all along that path of progressive reform, for an industry that is representative of every one of $6 in the American economy. If it goes unchecked, in the short span of 30 years, it will be one in $3. That does not make strong sense. It is a situation that will be a train wreck just waiting to happen.

Mr. TONKO. We thank you for joining us this evening. As we look at the progress that we can make here, it is important for us to move forward with fact not fiction, for us to instill reforms in the insurance area that allows for catastrophic illness to be addressed so that it does not prejudice against American families that require health care insurance. We need to move forward so as to provide portability for our American families, especially at a time when we profess that there will be career changes, job changes many times over in the work lifetime of countless individuals in this country, where if you lose a job, you shouldn't be denied your health care. Some 14,000 Americans per day are losing their health care. That is unacceptable in this Nation of plenty. We can have a better plan. We need to make certain that wellness and prevention are underscored as very valuable, important tools in the kit that speak to the soundness of holding down costs. We do that by not allowing for copayments in that regard. We need to cap those situations that could be catastrophic by making certain that no more than $5,000 or $10,000 per family, some reasonable measure be there, to restrict the payments that are demanded because so many families face bankruptcy. I know that if our health care measure were approved as represented before the House here, some 1,200 families in my congressional district alone would escape the woes of bankruptcy because of medical expenses. These are issues that face America each and every day. The business community has been paying stiffly for this sort of lack of reform. Some 40 percent of our business community is reported spending more than 10 percent of their payroll on health care costs. That is a pattern that is only growing worse with time. And our seniors have been treated unfairly, with concepts like a Medicare part D doughnut hole, situations that find them in a very few weeks into any calendar year paying dearly for pharmaceutical needs that are a life-and-death choice for them. They shouldn't limit or fractionalize what they're taking. They shouldn't avoid the pharmaceutical needs that have been required of them by the medical community. Those are situations that need to be responded through in this debate that hopefully will be factual, that will be fair, that will be based on soundness rather than fear tactics; those that might divide this Nation unnecessarily, that may impact the chance to really reform a situation that for decades has been talked about. I applaud the President when he said he wants to be the last President to attempt this effort and fail. He wants to achieve success for the Nation. For decades we have had many an administration push for reform but it has failed because I think there are those who resist change simply to resist it rather than open up to the discussion and the dialogue and the debate in honest measure that needs to be had so as to move forward in progressive format. Madam Speaker, we of the freshman class thank you this evening for the time allotted. I now yield back the remainder of my time and appreciate the opportunity to discuss what I believe is a critically important issue, that of health care and insurance reform here in America.

Mr. TONKO. It expresses the character of our society and of our Nation. Obviously, there are determined individuals who understand and acknowledge that we can't fix this system with slogans or sound bites or banners that are flown at various events. It needs to get into the weeds of detail and make certain that people are protected. Ms. Pingree, you make reference to small business, some 13 million people, nearly one-third of America's uninsured, are employed by small and medium-size businesses, fewer than 100 employees. That is a huge number. People say to me, if we do this insurance benefit, shouldn't people be working? I say they are working; they are not getting insurance coverage. About 15 years ago, 61 percent of our small businesses and medium- sized businesses offered employer-based health care coverage. Today that number has dropped to some 38 percent. So the signs are there. The patterns are being developed. We cannot continue with the status quo. It is unaffordable and not sustainable.

Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, as you know, we have a very talented freshman class in the House of Representatives. And for the next hour, Members of the freshman class will be discussing health care. We would like to thank the Democratic leadership for giving us time to discuss this very important issue. Within the freshman class I believe is a diversity of work experience and work expertise, skill sets that have been brought to this Chamber to discuss various policies. Well, nothing could be more pressing, Madam Speaker, than the need for health care reform. Just yesterday I was pleased to welcome President Obama to the 21st Congressional District of New York, which I represent, specifically to the city of Troy, New York. He had spoken about the innovation economy. He had spoken about the recovery from this recession, which has been deep and long. He made mention that there is no recovery without addressing health care costs for our businesses, to be able to go forward with a meaningful plan that will allow for employer-based coverage at an affordable price. So this evening as we speak about health care reform, it is significant to our business community, it is significant to our families, the working families across America, and it is significant to government, as health care costs for government-provided health care in our local municipalities, in our school systems, is rising well beyond inflation. In fact, just today a report was issued by the Office of the Vice President that spoke to, on average, 5.5 percent increases on family plans across America. That average of 5.5 percent came during this recession period that actually saw inflation dropping by 0.7 percent. So this is a remarkable statistic that we're seeing this growth continuing. We have been joined, and we are joined by two of our colleagues right now. We have Representative Gerry Connolly from Virginia's 11th District and Representative Chellie Pingree from Maine's 1st Congressional District. Representative Connolly, if you please.

Mr. TONKO. And I am reminded with that statistic that the $13,385 on average for a policy will grow to something greater than $29,000. Unacceptable outcomes, and it will drive business into unprofitable situations. And it will wreak damage and pain and suffering onto our Nation and onto its families. So there has to be reform here. Absolutely there has to be reform. When you look at it from our senior citizens' perspective, knowing there have been injustices allowed, the creation of a doughnut hole where constantly, we have talked about this, you hear from your senior citizens as constituents, where they reach in a few months the threshold where they are in that doughnut hole and they are paying out of pocket for necessary pharmaceuticals, it is unacceptable.

Mr. TONKO. Representative Connolly, you talk about some of the hardship that befalls people because of these decisions by bureaucrats in the industry. Well, there are also those situations where they drop coverage because of illness, which is a dreadful outcome. And I think that the insurance reforms, the health care insurance reforms that are required in this package would address situations like catastrophic illness, requiring that there be no prejudice shown against those suffering with catastrophic illness; that there be this portability that if you change jobs, lose a job, you continue to maintain health care coverage; that there be caps on certain situations where you're not draining--for the bankruptcy purposes we cited here or just the economic hardships that befall families, you're not draining them of resources unnecessarily, and putting a cap of perhaps $5,000 on an individual, $10,000 on a family, allowing for that cap to be placed so there is that benefit that comes the way of our American families. Putting no copayment onto wellness programs and prevention programs, that's a smart thing for us to do. We know that when we bring people into the network and emphasize and underscore the value of prevention, they will be all the better for it. So there are all these dynamics that should be responded to by the legislation that we do here, by the policy we develop. Representatives talk about anecdotes that are shared within their districts to them either through house calls, which I think are unique, and just in group meetings that are had. I can tell you recently someone told me of their premium going up 37 percent in a matter of 2 years and that now, because of catastrophic illness, the wife of this married couple whom I reference here is unemployable at the age of 60. Her husband is now the single wage earner, trying to cover $18,000 worth of medical expenses. Now, is that the kind of outcome that we want to protect? Is that the status quo that we're supposed to fight for? Or do we go forward and champion causes that will remove this sort of situation from the lives of the American families that we have the fortune to represent? I think that there is a better way, and this health care focus in this House has been strong about wringing excess costs and inefficiencies out of the equation and putting in those measures that control overimpacting our American families in cases of catastrophic illness and advancing the cause of wellness. That's what we can achieve here and not be ruled by myth or fear tactics but by facts and information that is fed us that is responsible development of public policy, I believe.

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Connolly.

Mr. TONKO. Absolutely.

Mr. TONKO. Absolutely not. As I mentioned, the President came to my district just yesterday and talked about the innovation economy and the emergence of innovation that is expressed through keen intellect out there, whiz kid ideas, if you will, that are fostered by these very sharp individuals who know with precision how we can enter into a high-tech sweepstakes and win that global race. Well, we can't saddle these people with the costs of health care that is unaffordable or deny their entry into the job creations that they want to provide by finding that the premium is going to be some $13,375, as the Vice President's released study indicates. That is unacceptable. Status quo also means that insurance companies will be calling the shots, that they will control your destiny. They will step between you and the medical community. They will continue to reap great profits that go toward marketing and executive bonuses and various other items. The first 26 cents now on the dollar are assumed to go for something other than health care. So status quo is not sustainable. I know, Representative Pingree, that you have been impacted by these issues within your district and have created a very strong voice for health care reform.

Mr. TONKO. Well, it's interesting because I'm sure we hear it all the time. We recommend to high school students that probably their work stops throughout their careers will be four, five in number. It will not be that sustained one bit of loyalty to the employer and reverse to the employee that goes through an individual's work life career. And that is an important thing. If we profess that to be true, and we share that with these young minds, where we see that happening today in today's society where there are more and more shifts in careers, where there are golden opportunities to enter into another work opportunity, or where people are displaced, tossed to the streets, if you will, and lose their jobs, there should be that stability. While the discussion by some has been framed an issue for the uninsured or underinsured, it's equally about those of us who are insured with the policy in hand. And what is really driving the issue here for many is catastrophic illness, where there is perhaps a huge demand on a family for medical expenses, and we are seeing more and more bankruptcies due to medical expenses as part of an American outcome, unacceptable outcomes in a land of abundance, as is the case in America. So reform here is what we need. Status quo is unsustainable, absolutely unsustainable, and we need to go forward with a progressive sort of policy reform that will enable us to prosper as a society, via business, via families, via individuals, via our local governments and school systems.

Mr. TONKO. Absolutely. And I think that the statistics speak for themselves. Representative Pingree, you have long been a champion in your State for health care reform. Statistics in the Northeast and certainly in New England are what they are across America, where we see out-of-control costs and reduced opportunities for those who are holding an insurance policy in hand.

Mr. TONKO. And we have heard real-life stories that should affect all of us in our process here in the House. Both of you are strong voices for intelligent reform; and Representative Pingree, I know you have a lot to add.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. I rise today in support of H.R. 3246, the Advanced Vehicle Technology Act. H.R. 3246 supports the key public policy goals of improving our Nation's energy security and our environment. Specifically, this legislation encourages research and development for a diverse range of near-term and long-term vehicle electrification technologies that will improve vehicle fuel efficiency, reduce emissions, and support the United States manufacturing and American workers. We must address our energy problems as we continue to address our economic problems. By doing so, I believe we can ensure that while our economy recovers, we will be competitive and secure in the energy sector as well. The passage of H.R. 3246 is indeed vital to addressing both of these concerns. As Congress moves through this session, we must continue to pass policies that will promote energy efficiency--policies which drill and mine efficiencies as we previously drilled for oil and mined for coal. Finally, we must continue to invest in research and development to ensure that our United States are at the forefront of the energy revolution: Creating jobs, embracing intellectual capacity, and promoting clean domestic energy. I urge my colleagues to join me today and vote in favor of H.R. 3246. I commend the sponsor for his vision.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to continue to remind my colleagues about the energy crisis we are experiencing in our country. While oil is currently trading at some $69.21 per barrel today, it was at $147 in July of 2008, when we all remember gas prices at over $4 a gallon. We must address our energy problems as we continue to address our economic problems. By doing so, we can ensure that while our economy recovers, we will be competitive and secure in the energy sector as well. As such, I was pleased that my bill, H.R. 3165, the Wind Energy Research and Development Act of 2009, passed this body last week. I would like to thank my colleagues from both sides of the aisle for their support on my first piece of legislation that passed this full body. We must continue to promote energy efficiency, to drill and mine efficiency as we previously drilled for oil and mined coal. We must also enact policies that promote clean energy jobs and the deployment of renewables. Finally, as my bill did last week, we must continue to invest in research and development to ensure that the United States is at the forefront of the energy revolution.