Alan Grayson Cries On The House Floor Over Victims Of Health Care System (VIDEO)

On Wednesday afternoon, Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) shed tears on the House floor during a speech on the need for health insurance reform. Reading letters from people who have lost their loved ones because they did not have health coverage, the emotional Congressman paid tribute to victims who he said "aren't often heard from."

"There are 44,789, who die every year from lack of health insurance," Grayson said. "In the course of my speech tonight, there will be five more."

The moving stories narrated by Grayson came from his website namesofthedead.com. Unveiled on the House floor last week, the congressman's initiative aims to shine light on the innocent victims of the U.S. health care system. "I hope that honoring them will help us end this senseless loss of American lives," Grayson wrote.

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Comments

[Liza DiSavino]

Emo - get back to me when you get cancer and you find your "personal responsibility" won't cover the bills after you get dropped for pre-existing conditions.

Grayson for VEEP in 2010. Finally a Democrat who talks like a Democrat.

[mr japrufrock]

Its about time some is injecting some passion into this health care debate. It is about people's lives, not bending the cost curve. Go Alan go!

[jeff farias]

Rep Grayson is out in force this week pushing his Congressman with Guts webiste

Hear a great interview with him from Friday 10- 30

http://jefffariaskxxt.podbean.com/

[AnthonyVolpe]

I'm really, really beginning to get sick and tired of cynical people.

It might be remotely possible that Grayson actually gives a damn about his job and the people he's reading about.

If you people are that damned cynical and faithless, why are you still alive?

[tploomis]

If Grayson is going to find egregious cases of the current health care system run amok, he needs to find better examples (of which there are plenty out there). I honestly couldn't stomach listening to this to the end, but the first case he talked about seemed like a case study of somebody that can't accept her mother is going to die and wants to pursue hopeless cures, no matter what the cost. Ironically, research on this shows that Republicans are far more likely to want pointless and expensive end of life care than Democrats. In this case the insurance company refuses to pay for a port-a-cath, the daughter pays for the operation out of pocket, and the operation fails. Doesn't that indicate the insurance company was actually right and this was not an operation that should have been done? Then the daughter, in a continued state of denial about the pending death of her mother, bemoans that "alternative treatment" will cost $100,000, which she can't afford and which the insurance companies won't pay. "Alternative treatments" are black holes that people dump their money down when they can't accept that their medical condition can not be treated further. I have no problem with people wasting their own money in foolish ways, but I have a big problem when others think I should spend my money (in the form of increased insurance costs) to support their foolishness.

[citizen of the universe]

You are a heartless individual. People have the right to try and save their own lives by any means. It's not for some insurance executive to make that decision. A doctor should be able to utilize ALL measures available to him or her to save their patient. Affordable healthcare should be in all of our interest since cost will decrease because more people are participating. It's obvious you have never lost a loved one to a devasting illness, better yet, I dare you to accept your own death so cavalier (by your words above) if or when your own health changes. What comes around, goes around, and you sir/madam will get your comeuppance.

[Marcus-UK]

Allow me to introduce you to the human race.

You see, as a fellow human we should cherish ALL that is precious to each other. Who are you determine what should be cherished and for how long?

Insurance cover, regardless of whether you insure your car, house or a person should step in once it is needed. What is a catastrophe is that there are people who can not afford insurance cover are simply left to die quickly and often needlessly. It matters not what the cost of the treatment is or could be, because insurance companies make millions of dollars profit from people who pay insurance and NEVER get sick or need hospital treatment. So, when it is needed they should saddle up and pay the fee.

Take your head out of your Johnson

[tploomis]

If Grayson is going to go the pathos/bathos route, he needs to study his Republican counterparts more. They know how to do this kind of thing to perfection. This speech was a complete flop, from my point of view. It felt like he was filibustering his own party, reading long pieces of material he seemed unfamiliar with. To have impact, he needed to know these stories inside out, not read them like he's an unprepared fifth grader giving a speech in front of his class. Secondly, if these are egregious examples of the current system run amok, he should leave the snurfing to the audience. His tone should be one of righteous indignation. He needs to be the warrior, taking the fight to the Republicans.

[learntofly]

Grayson didn't have to take on the job of advocacy for the uninsured. Would have been very easy for him to remain silent and not risk anything to promote awareness of the urgency of our national health care ins. crisis. I've seen too many in congress that coldly reduce the millions that are uninsured and under covered to a normal and acceptable occurrence. Tens of thousands are dying every year because they have no insurance. This is an emergency and a crisis. And people are debating if Grayson is showing "too much" concern? Just amazing...

[Arrech]

Even republicans find their heart when they fall in the black hole:

http://www.youtube.com/user/RepAlanGrayson#p/u/19/YWEB0r-CT3M

[miriamfl]

Thanks, I hadn't seen this one.

[Emo Zipper]

Black Hole ? Black hole of what ? Ones health is directly connected to his or her degree of personal responsibility. There is nothing in the founding documents that dictates the Government should be responsible for your lack of personal responsibility to yourself. Why , as a taxpayer , shoud I be paying for your healthcare ? I don't expect you to provide for mine. Enough of this nonsense and move on to more pressing issues....­.......Emo Zipper 10.30.09

[Arrech]

Good. Then move on.
You lost

[seagullking]

And THIS is the right's point of view... I'm happy to know that all righties have a separate bank account with millions in it to cover all the medical costs if and when something bad goes down...

and when asked what they would do to reform healthcare, 'TORT reform', and thats it.

[TheMellowFellow]

You're absolutely right! The military should be disbanded as well; I can simply hire a personal body guard to protect just me. Why should I, as a tax payer, be paying for YOUR protection?

[Okieborn]

Da** !!
America should start buying stock in the Vicks company !!
It seems it is being used quite frequently as of late !!

[Susan60]

Boy after reading some of these posts It hit me that we are so used to politicans that don't give a da** about us that when one finally comes along we accuse him of all sorts of horrible things. He's new to congress and he hasn't been bought or jaded yet by the process and he is doing what he feels is right. But everyone has become so horribly cynical about our politics that they can't even recognize someone who is actually trying to do the right thing for the American people. People on the right, Beck, Hannity, Limbaugh and their fake over the top histronics have ruined it for people like Grayson, who is doing the best he can to stand up for what is right and no one seems to recognize the difference. Sad, that.

[Arrech]

Reading this thread I realize that there are so many people that are sick at the very core of their souls. Cynicism is a cancer that is eating them alive and probably also in the literal sense.

Mr. Grayson is doing the right thing, honoring the victims of this senseless and uncaring American system.

President Obama is doing the right thing honoring the victims of two wars that his administration inherited.

[PAposter]

It's so easy to be cynical when you don't have the kind unnecessary tragedies these families experienced.

[whitehawk]

Alan Grayson's a decent man, knows the cost of lives as do you and members in house and Senate. As a Canadian who has experienced the best health care in the World, and yes I'm poor in the sense of limited income at 60 yrs old, but rich with necessities of life there for me and agencies of all kinds.

Tommy Douglas, a third party premiere and prime minister of Canada 50 yrs ago, changed Canadian's lives by delivering a superb system of health care, saving lives, many lives. Even our birth death's dropped significantly,

This alone goes against logic with GOP anti-abortion theory, when they strip away health care to so many and yet let mother's and children die from lack of health care. Abortion is highest in the states that are Republican dominant.

Shameful display of Greed, GOPer's, who talk but steal your constituents $$ for pocket lining, refuse health care reform or public option, twist their fascist theory's to the uneducated, poor, uninsured citizens of America. What hypocrisy. All of them should be thrown out for negligence of fullfilling their office and their commitment to work for their constituents, not steal from them.

Grayson is right, helping all American's, the importance of YOUR health and YOUR family's health. Reality check GOPers..... Christian Right hypocrisy, nothing christian about greed, murder and false prophets. Now, they complain about the size of the 'Bill", It's huge......­..........­..........­......reme­mber month's ago when Repub's produced a slim, ten page 'health care plan??

[miriamfl]

Great post thank you!

[gs-425]

Kind of reminds me when Chucky cried during the SCOTUS nomination. What do they carry onions in their breast pockets?

[blaharumph]

cynical hea dli ne. he was beck-ing for pete's sake!