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Observing that every single House Republican had pledged to block
health coverage for the insured, I then did the math:Alabama District
1, Congressman Jo Bonner, 114 dead, Alabama District 3, Congressman
Mike Rogers, 88 dead, namesofthedead.com
http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20091105/cm_huffpost/347237_200911051746;_ylt=AvN7dedwpWdUohuvMBCdvbw__8QF;_ylu=X3oDMTE2ajd2NXBtBHBvcwMyBHNlYwN5bi1yLWItbGVmdARzbGsDZXYtaG93dGhlcmVw
How the Republicans Failed to Cut Off My Health Care Speech
Rep. Alan Grayson – Thu Nov 5, 5:46 pm ET
Read Rep. Alan Grayson's other articles on HuffingtonPost.com
Last night, the House Republicans tried, and failed, to squelch a
speech that I gave on health care. I intend to vote for the health
care bill because that bill saves lives. And I also intend to speak
out, as loudly as I can, on behalf of those Americans who cannot speak
out, those who have died because they had no health insurance. And the
Republicans tried, and failed, to shut me down, to shut down the
truth.
Here's what happened.
I had reserved an hour on the Floor of the House for a "special
order." When the hour began, I noted that a Harvard study had
concluded that 44,789 Americans die each year because they have no
health insurance. I also noted that the Urban Institute had released
figures on the number of uninsured in each Congressional district.
Observing that every single House Republican had pledged to block
health coverage for the insured, I then did the math:
"Alabama District 1, Congressman Jo Bonner, 114 dead."
"Alabama
District 3, Congressman Mike Rogers, 88 dead."
I continued for 23 minutes, from Alabama to Ohio. Then the Republicans
demanded that I "yield," so they could object and interrupt me. I said
no: "My time is limited, and I intend to use it." Flustered, the
Republicans then asked my "words be taken down," and threatened to
call a roll-call vote, at 8 p.m., on whether I should be sanctioned.
This halted the proceedings, as you can see here.
The House staff informed the Republicans that I had violated no rule
of the House. The Republicans then insisted on reviewing a recording
of my speech, going through it with a fine-tooth comb to see if there
was anything objectionable. They found nothing. Then they asked to
"ring the bells" before the proceedings resumed, wasting another 15
minutes. Finally, after an hour of Republican stalling, I finished the
list:
"Wyoming, Congressman Cynthia Lummis, 73 dead."
For the remainder of his hour, I then read real-life stories from the
website namesofthedead.com. These are submitted by people who lost
loved ones because they had no health insurance.
They used to call President Harry Truman 'Give 'em Hell Harry'. But
President Truman said, "I don't give them hell; I just tell the truth
and they think it's hell." I'm telling the Republicans this: Lives are
at stake. If you can't stand the heat on health care, then get out of
the kitchen. |
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