Today, Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke released the following statement on President Barack Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress on health care reform:

“Today, I am excited and re-energized to stand by the President’s decision to guarantee that a health care reform bill will cover the nearly 47 million uninsured Americans across our nation. No longer will we stand idle as our fellow Americans die from preventable disease or suffer silently in the shadows because they can not afford a check-up. We need real health care reform that guarantees that no American will be denied coverage. Affordable, high quality health care is not a privilege but a right.

“The growing cost of healthcare is one of the biggest drags on our economy. In 2006, our economy lost as much as $200 billion because of the poor health and shorter lifespan of the uninsured. Without any change, by 2018, health care spending will rise to $4.4 trillion – more than one-fifth of the economy. It is clear that our nation can no longer accept the status quo. We need comprehensive health care reform if America is to successfully move forward into the 21st century. The time for action now.”

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