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Speeches and Floor Statements

Scott Takes House Floor to Defend Healthcare Reform

Washington, January 19, 2011
Today, Congressman David Scott (GA-13) addressed the House Floor to urge opposition to the bill to repeal the healthcare reform law. Scott's remarks appear below:

"I have listened for the last 2 days, and I have heard my friends from the other side refer to this as ObamaCare, so derisively, mean-spiritedly. But let me assure you what we're talking about that is the law of the land today is not ObamaCare. It is America's health care for all the American people.

"It is the health care for that senior citizen who is sitting down at her kitchen table thankful that she now has a 50 percent discount on all of her prescription drugs, and she does not want to see this repealed. It's for that youngster who can now be on his parents' insurance until he's 26 years old in these tough economic times. The American people want this and do not want to see it repealed.

"And I want to say to the American people, have no fear, let not your heart be troubled. This law will not be repealed. Yes, they will vote for it today. But it's not going to be taken up in the Senate, and it's not going to be signed by the President.

"So what do the American people say about this? They want us to be concerned about jobs. And certainly if we have to deal with this health care, why should we not be dealing with some of the critical issues? The American people do not want this bill, this law, repealed. They want it fixed. They'd love to see Democrats and Republicans working together on the 1099s. Sure, there's too much paperwork for small businesses. Let us work on that. This medical liability issue, the number one reason why kids are not going into medicine, let us work on that. And the reimbursement rate for our physicians. The American people want us to fix it, not repeal it."