In Support of Medicare for All
Kucinich gave the following speech in Congress on May 11, 2005:
"Mr. Speaker, I want to agree with the gentleman from Florida that the American people are worried about many things including health care. And that is why I stand to ask the House for support on H.R. 676, a bill that will establish a U.S. national health insurance.
"A Kaiser Foundation poll found that 64 percent of Americans favor expanding Medicare to all. The Deans of Harvard and Stanford Medical Schools, 13,000 doctors, including the former editor of the New England Journal of Medicine and two former Surgeons General now support Medicare for All.
"By expanding Medicare to all, we will contain costs. Medicare boasts 3 percent overhead. In contrast, the Medicare HMOs, 15 to 30 percent overhead. Medicare also has a much lower rate of spending increase than private health plans.
"Medicare for All will make the U.S. more competitive. GM and Ford are losing money in competitive advantage because other developed countries have universal health care. Ontario now makes more cars than Detroit. Canadian GM, Ford and other auto manufacturers have sent a letter in support of their single-payer health care system as a result.
"All over this country, Americans are looking for some help from the Congress of the United States on health care. It is time for us to come together, Democrats and Republicans alike, in defense of universal health care, Medicare for All."
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