Lowell Weicker, Jr., former three-term U.S. Senator and Governor of Connecticut and President of the Board of the Trust for America's Health (TFAH), delivered an address on health reform before The Muslim Coalition of Connecticut. The following are excerpts from the speech:
"If we do nothing to fix the nation's present 'sick care' system, millions of people will continue to become ill, suffer needlessly, and die.... The worst thing we can do is throw our hands in the air and give up. Much of the hostile dialogue has been created by people who want health care to fail -- people who profit monetarily from the status quo and people who hope to profit politically. But such profits come only at the expense of helping the rest of us achieve better health.
"The system we have now is broken -- not just a little broken. It's severely broken. Unless we take action, health care costs will continue to skyrocket. Despite the acrimony and partisanship, I am encouraged that the President and many in Congress have made reform of our nation's health care system a priority this year.
"Senators and Representatives have great health insurance paid for by the citizenry -- us. In addition, they have a first rate 'medical home' with access to check ups and preventive care at the Bethesda Naval Hospital or the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and a complete physician's office in the Capitol. As a retired Senator, I still carry my government health insurance which covers me, my wife, and disabled son at a rate of some three hundred plus dollars a month.
"So, I know Congress can take care of itself. Now we need to remind them that they have to take care of the rest of the country. Every American, regardless of race, ethnicity, and economic circumstances should have the opportunity to be as healthy as he or she can be. Since this is a representative democracy, every American deserves the same health care as a member of Congress. If that's too expensive for the nation, then it's too expensive for Congress.
"I believe the last election was about getting our priorities straight. Bad health is our country's worst enemy. Without our health, we have nothing. Without our children's health, we have no future.