Full Transcript of Pelosi Press Conference on Health C...(erative. It's an economic imperative bec...),Health

And with our companies' spending twice as much on health care as their foreign competitors, the cost of health care translates into less productivity, economy, and fewer jobs and less competitiveness.

Reform is a budget imperative because, unless we find a way to control the growth of health care costs, our country will plunge further and further into debt.

Families will plunge further into debt. Individuals will plunge further into debt. And reform is a moral imperative as well, because millions of Americans live without the security of health care that they can relay on and that can never be taken away from them.

The Speaker talked about choice, not putting anybody in between their doctor and themselves, but making sure that they can get to a hospital; making sure, in fact, that they can have the health care they need.

I say all the time, with respect to their health insurance program that they now have: if you've got it, you like it, you keep it -- a moral imperative to ensure that those who don't, however, have an option, have an opportunity to take care of themselves and their family.

Those are some of the reasons why we are so dedicated to solving this problem this year. Now is the time. This is our moment, as the President would say. And our resolve has been bolstered by the stories of ordinary Americans, some of whom are here with us today, who have seen our health care system, deep flaws, firsthand.

Phil Feaster is a friend of mine. I've known Phil Feaster for many, many years.

He's a constituent of mine. Lives in Fort Washington. Just down the road, not too far from here. He's
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