House of Representatives

Stupak-Pitts Amendment Effectively Bans Abortion Coverage in All Plans in the Exchange, including the Public Health Insurance Options and All Private Health Insurance Plans

10 November 2009 -- WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette of Colorado and U.S. Rep. Louise M. Slaughter, co-chairs of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus, today sent a letter to President Barack Obama requesting a meeting to discuss reproductive health in health care reform and ensure the rights of all women are protected. The letter is signed by a total of 90 Pro-Choice Members of Congress and seeks a meeting with President Obama at the earliest possible date.    » read more »

November 10, 2009 -- Washington, DC- Today, Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke released the following statement honoring the victims of the Fort Hood tragedy:

“On November 5th, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan killed thirteen people and wounded thirty. This senseless act of violence is the worst terrorist act to take place on a mainland U.S. military base in our nation’s history. Fort Hood has suffered a great loss and my thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the victims.

As a Member of the House Homeland Security Committee, I will be working to ensure that our nation works to prevent such horrific actions from ever happening again. I will be closely following any congressional inquiries looking into the tragedy.    » read more »

Carnahan Helps Cut Ribbon Today for River City Casino Boulevard As Part of District-Wide "Jobs Tour"

November 10, 2009 -- ST. LOUIS - Congressman Russ Carnahan (MO-3) helped cut the ribbon for a new access road in South St. Louis County today, hailing it as a critical step to bring thousands of new jobs and millions of dollars in economic development to the region.

Carnahan, who was joined at the ribbon cutting by County Executive Charlie Dooley, County Councilman Steve Stenger and others, participated in the event as part of a district-wide "Jobs Tour." Carnahan is traveling throughout Missouri's Third Congressional District today, highlighting the progress being made to help stimulate economic development and put Americans back to work.    » read more »

Civil Rights Groups Applaud Inclusion Of Strong Public Option

(Washington, DC) – The NAACP, National Urban League and The Black Leadership Forum commend Congress for passing a bill that will reform the current health care system. The bill will include a strong public option, and is expected to offer affordable and quality health care for all Americans.

"Tonight, our congress people made a decision to stop letting so many of our neighbors die for lack of affordable health care coverage. We applaud them for including the public option. The public option means more choice, more competition, lower costs, more families covered, and few forced into bankruptcy," said NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous. “    » read more »

House Delivers On Election Promise. Now Is Time For Senate To Act

November 9, 2009 -- The following is the statement of Anna Burger, Chair, Change To Win, on the passage by the U.S. House of Representatives of H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act.

After generations of struggle and decades of delay, the U.S House of Representatives had the courage to act---and, to pass historic reform legislation to assure every American, regardless of age or income, access to high quality, affordable health care. The House’s action this November is why working men and women turned out at the polls last November. Health care is a key economic concern of working families—and, national health care reform is key to economic recovery and security for working families.    » read more »

November 8, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. -- Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, Chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Health Care, issued the following statement commending the House of Representatives for passing comprehensive health care reform legislation. The legislation passed the House of Representatives with a vote of 220-215.

“Last night’s passage of the Affordable Health Care for America Act brings this nation one step closer to comprehensive health care reform.

“I applaud the House of Representatives for taking such a strong vote in favor of the American people and against our broken health care system.    » read more »

Top 10 Ways NYC Benefits from Health Care Reform

11.08.09 -- New York City – Today, Representative Anthony Weiner (D – Brooklyn and Queens), a member of the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee and Co-Chair of the Caucus on the Middle Class, released a new study on the impact of the health reform bill which passed the House of Representatives late last night on New York City.    » read more »

11.07.09 -- Washington, DC – Representative Anthony Weiner (D – Brooklyn and Queens), a member of the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee and Co-Chair of the Caucus on the Middle Class, released the following statement on the passage of the House health care reform bill:

"About five and half months ago I said I believed that the coming few years in Washington were deeply important, and a time when ideas could matter.”

“I stated my commitment to working in Congress to take full advantage of this progressive era to pass important legislation. That decision meant I did not run for an office I have dreamed of, and one that recent events show was more open to contention than critics admitted.”    » read more »

Floor statement

11.07.09 -- “There are honorable people on both sides of this debate, but there are moments that come along and they come along about every generation or so that make it clear why this side of the aisle are Republicans and why we're Democrats. In 1935, when there was the Social Security Act and we decided we weren't going to allow 30percent of seniors to slip into poverty, Democrats proposed, Democrats passed, Republicans opposed Social Security.”    » read more »

November 9, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC -- Congressman Mel Watt (12th District of North Carolina) made the following statement about today’s House vote on the Affordable Health Care for America Act:

“Today the House took a historic step by passing the Affordable Health Care for America Act. In my seventeen (17) years of representing the constituents of the 12th District of North Carolina in the House, health care reform has been an unfulfilled dream as Congress continued to kick the can down the road providing no real reform for the American people. Passage of this bill begins the process of reforming our nation’s health insurance system and ensuring access to affordable, quality health care for all Americans.    » read more »

Washington, DC, Nov 9 -- Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-35) cast the decisive vote in favor of the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962), historic legislation to provide affordable quality health care for all Americans. The legislation required 218 votes to pass the House of Representatives, and Congresswoman Waters was the 218th vote for the bill late Saturday night. (Following her vote one more Democrat and one Republican also voted in favor of the legislation to make the final tally 220-215.)    » read more »

November 7, 2009 -- Washington, DC –The U.S. House of Representatives today passed H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, by a vote of 220-215. U.S. Representative Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) applauded the legislation. The following is Velázquez’s statement:

“For too long, millions of Americans have suffered without access to the medical treatment they need. Right now, too many Americans worry about how they will find health care coverage if they lose their job. On this day alone, 14,000 Americans will lose their coverage. And millions of our citizens, including one in three Hispanics, lack health insurance coverage.    » read more »

November 7, 2009 -- WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Edolphus “Ed” Towns (NY-10) issued the following statement today, following the House of Representatives’ passage of H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act.

“I proudly joined my colleagues today in voting for the Affordable Health Care for America Act. This monumental legislation makes good on Democrats’ commitment to treat health care as a fundamental human right. In voting for this bill today, Congress took a meaningful step forward towards delivering on America’s promise as a just nation that upholds our peoples’ rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.    » read more »

Chairman: Overpayments Hurt Taxpayers, Beneficiaries

November 9, 2009 -- U. S. Rep. John Tanner, Chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security, has asked the Government Accountability Office to investigate reports that the Social Security Administration (SSA) often makes payments to disability insurance beneficiaries long after these payments should have stopped. Congressman Sam Johnson, ranking Republican for the Subcommittee, joined Congressman Tanner in his request.    » read more »

11/09/09 -- “The House of Representatives stood up to the fear-mongering and misinformation and passed a historic health care reform bill that has been sixty years in the making. This issue is a big part of why my constituents sent me to Washington and I am proud to have been able to cast a vote to address our nation’s health care disparities and expand access for all Americans."    » read more »