Community Post

Healthcare reform passes – Here’s our rep’s speech

Healthcare reform has just passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a three vote margin, leaving only President Obama’s signature before it becomes law.

Here’s the speech given on the floor by our representative, Congressman McDermott, a few hours ago:

Mr. Speaker, there are times in history that action is demanded. In 1935 we needed social security and unemployment insurance. The Democrats answered. In 1965 we needed healthcare for senior citizens. The Democrats answered. In 2010 the country needs healthcare reform, and the Democrats will answer tonight.

It was never in doubt. Business wanted a change. The medical profession wanted a change, and labor wanted a change. And the Republicans brought an economic collapse to make it clear to everybody that we all are in danger if we don’t change the healthcare system in this country.

Update: And now the Reconciliation Bill has passed too. The next step is for Obama to sign the original legislation, and then for the Senate to take up and pass the reconciliation measure.

I’ve got to say that I’m not normally at all into CSPAN, but I spent much of today watching the proceedings and being really into it (at least when the Fightin’ Texas Aggies weren’t playing in Spokane). So often it’s just a congressman talking to an empty room. But having everyone on the floor, participating, debating was great. But boo on the endless “unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks.”

BTW – Regular readers might be surprised by the anti-reform comments so far, given the nature of our district. Evidently we were at the top of Google News results for a bit for “healthcare reform” and “obamas speech.”  Here’s the unusually geographically diverse map of traffic from the last hour:

0 thoughts on “Healthcare reform passes – Here’s our rep’s speech

  1. Another step toward government takeover of our freedoms, redistribution of wealth, and socialism. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck…it’s a duck! By Healthcare of go to jail…gimme a break. Translation, gimme your money so I can give it to somebody else, or you go to jail! Why can’t folks see this plain, simple, fact! We all want reform, just not this bill…with all the side deals, and pork…and what do student loans have to do with Healthcare???? Stupid, stupid, stupid…and folks aren’t seein’ it!

  2. I have a diploma in Systems Networking Engineering. For years I’ve dreamed of working in Arizona, Nevada, California or Texas and there is no doubt that if I were an American I would vote Republican. Thanks to the Health Care Reform Bill, I have new reasons to consider becoming a US citizen, to contribute to an ever expanding economy that demands information systems technicians. I’m disappointed that radicalism exists in the far right toward health care; to compare SOCIAL to SOCIALISM is no different than comparing REPUBLICAN to the peoples’ REPUBLIC of china. I can only wish that someday I will be able to live, work, and enjoy time in America with a health care system as good as Hawaiis’ state run health care system, while Ron Paul serves as president.

  3. Yes!!! Most of the reason for our financial problems are due to our lack of a good health care system. Remember that everyone thought we were turning into “socialists” when The Social Security system came into law. Tell someone who cant afford their daily prescriptions that this is a bad bill, or people that have lost everything bc of illness and lack of coverage. Don’t be mad at at something that gives to people a basic need. All of you saying this is a bad thing probably have good medical insurance. ANd by the way, so do I.

  4. Wow, ignorant much? Resident aliens are subject to the same taxation as citizens. Educate yourself. Who are these right wing windbags posting on a CD blog? Or are y’all actually living in Broadmoor?

  5. Chad welcome to our melting pot!
    And yes, Mr McDermott! Thanks for helping see this plan through. We need reform, & there will be much massaging of this plan, but it’s a start!
    Hooray! …and yes, I have health insurance too!

  6. I have health insurance through my employer. I am delighted about this though, both to help folks who do not currently have insurance, and to help cut costs for those of us who already do (and who will soon).

  7. I agree, Healthcare reform is necessary and needed! But this bill truly is horrible IF YOU TAKE THE TIME TO READ IT! And what do you think is going to happen to our kids and grandchildren when this country is “busted” from yet another failed social program!

  8. I just want to clarify, in case anyone is confused about this, non-citizen residents do pay taxes. They pay income tax; they pay sales tax. I can confirm this because I was married to a foreign national and we lived here in the States. (Most undocumented workers also pay taxes.) So really they are taxed without representation, which is what this nation revolted against in 1773. If you’re thinking of condemning immigrants, I’m guessing you’re probably going to need to condemn your ancestors and our nations founding members, too.

  9. Look at all those comments. Well, speaking as an actual regular here, I have to say how please I am with the vote tonight. I’m very impressed with the democrats pushing on with this even after things had begun to look bleak, and I think much credit (maybe most of it) goes to Nancy Pelosi.

  10. Chad, you did not specify your “status” so how is one supposed to know. If you are a decent person, paying your taxes, contributing to “America”, I have no problems with you per se. My problem resides with the freeloaders of this country that expect “something for nothing”. It gets frustrating watching our country go down the toilet because of these “freeloaders”. It just ends in bad things. My ancestors versus today are like comparing apples to oranges. Our ancestors worked to build this country into something special and now we are seeing in torn down to shreds. My kid can’t get student loans because we are giving them to illegals who just leach off the system and send the coin back to their country. Mix this in with my neighbors who I don’t even know if they are “terrorist cells” because they don’t engage in our basic American customs and don’t even speak English and you can see where this country is headed.
    Bottom line is it doesn’t even come down to “left or right” but history says anything the federal gov touches turns to garbage and one can see where frustration comes from. Geez, they couldn’t even craft a good bill…how are they going to administer it??

  11. tjy5150, we do have a special country. It continues to be enriched by different perspectives and hard working people from all over the globe. When your ancestors came here, they brought with them their customs. In their first generation here, they likely spoke their native language, and may have lived in a community filled with other immigrants from their home country. After a few generations, some of those traditions may have been lost, while others may have remained part of your family traditions. Not so different, really, from many immigrant families today.

    This is not to say we don’t have challenges to face, and conversations to have as citizens on how to deal with them. We won’t all agree. I do think it helpful to remember that we are all people, seeking to make the best of our lives and find meaning in the world.

  12. I see that you joined CD News today and have not contributed any articles yet. I guess you’ve just moved to Seattle’s Central Area and have only just found this wonderful community resource.

    I hope you’ll be able to contribute more in the future, as we all work to make our little neighborhood just that little bit better. Maybe we’ll see you at a neighborhood meeting or a neighborhood cleanup sometime soon.

    All the best,
    Andrew

  13. I’m happy this bill passed and proud of President Obama and Congressman McDermott for their efforts on finally making this happen. I’m also really glad to see CD News surface to the top of Google News! Way to go!!

  14. tjy5150, for all of your self-righteous, tea-partier anger, I seriously doubt you’ve read the bill yourself or have much more to say than the republican talking points we’ve all been hearing for the past year or so.

    In any case, I’m thrilled the legislation got through after so long, but less than thrilled about:
    a) The failure of slightly less than half the congress to earnestly participate in debate (especially when the legislation was designed to appeal to the center).
    b) The ability of special interests or individual congresspeople to hijack or hold hostage the legislation because the democrats were forced to operate on such a thin margin to pass the bill (Stupak, Nelson, Pharma, Lieberman just to name a few)
    c) The endless stream of disinformation and bold face lies that were spread and the media role either in directly spreading it or passively doing so by treating every issue as 50-50 (left vs right being equally weighted, if that makes sense)

    Here’s hoping more substantial reform doesn’t take another half century.

  15. We pay into social security. In fact it would be in great shape if the funds were not sometimes used to off set other deficits, like the one run up by the Iraqi War.

  16. The USA has not been at the top of the quality and cost for healthcare in the world for a long time. Doing nothing for decades has not achieved anything to stop or slow down the escalating cost effectiveness and management by your healthcare providers, nor did it help our economic and healthcare issues of many who paid.

    If tax money improves the cost and quality of healthcare provided for US citizens when capitolism didn’t do it, it is improvement that matters. That isn’t a bad thing by any name.

    The highest degree of “mis-information and bold face lies” will fall to the people who didn’t try to work together on it when they could have.

    Now, they have another chance to work together to perfect it, or bring it down by being petty.

  17. LOL – I have seen it all when tea party retardz are supposed residents of the CD.

  18. i would suggest that we dont need a national story on the neighborhood blog….

    one of the appeals of this site were the lack of AM-radioish ‘stories’ that elict the typical SideA/SideB banal claptrap and grade school civics lessons. I turn to this site for local or neihgborhood issues and news.

    yes, McDermot is ‘local’ , but it is hardly news that he voted for this bill. anyone who is remotely aware knows where he stands.

    anywho, by the amount of comments, i am probably in the minority on this thinking.