Debbie Wasserman Schultz Invokes Tucson Hero's Plea To Defend Health Care Reform

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), a close friend of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and one of the most outspoken legislators regarding the tragedy in Arizona, said Wednesday that one of the heroes of the shooting in Tucson was opposed to the House GOP's effort to repeal health care reform, and that others should stand with her in resistance to the measure.

"Normally I would step to a microphone like this and tell a story about the impact that decision might have on a constituent in my district," Wasserman Schultz said at a press briefing, according to Talking Points Memo. "Instead what I'm going to do is share with you what Pat Maisch -- who was the hero who dropped the second magazine out of the gunman's hand during the tragedy in Tucson -- what she planned to say to Gabby Giffords when she was waiting on line to talk to her."

Wasserman Schultz explained that Maisch had told her she wanted to see the health care overhaul signed into law last year maintained, and asked the Democratic congresswoman to do everything she could to ensure that it was given a chance to be fully implemented. She also lamented what she saw as the aggressive tone that Republicans had adopted in combatting the legislation, TPM reports.

"Heed the words of Pat Maisch, heed the words of millions needing health care," Wasserman Schultz said in defense of health care reform on the floor of the House later Wednesday morning, according to The New York Times.

A House vote on the Republican repeal legislation is expected later Wednesday.

Comments

[Stephen Homsey]

04:57 PM on 01/20/2011

I dunno seems to me this is a perfect example of why we need health care for everyone. God forbid this should happen to someone who was uninsured or didn't have good health coverage. The amount of money hospital care and the many months of rehab that Giffords needs would surely bankrupt most average Americans.

[JasonTromm]

02:10 PM on 01/20/2011

Absolutely disgusting! I can't believe Democrats are using the Arizona tragedy to advance their partisan agenda.

[Spiral Architect]

10:57 AM on 01/20/2011

Absolutely d1sgusting. DWS is a clown, I live right near her here in S. FL. She has the intelligence of a flea.

[Clarabell]

11:23 AM on 01/20/2011

Well, she's certainly my kind of "clown." Apparently you don't know "good" when it hits you in the face. BTW what's your IQ anyway?

[OldHick]

09:27 AM on 01/20/2011

Schultz told me that without the illegal aliens, we have no health care. Ditto Boxer, and Giffords.

[Whatchutalkinabout]

08:23 AM on 01/20/2011

Gabrielle Giffords was a victim in the tragedy.

[thetruth92802]

08:07 AM on 01/20/2011

whats heathcare reform have to do with the shooting..

[Spiral Architect]

10:58 AM on 01/20/2011

Nothing, but DWS is a clown with bad hair and a big mouth.

[Clarabell]

11:22 AM on 01/20/2011

Does a shooting victim need health care? duh!!!!!

[thetruth92802]

08:05 AM on 01/20/2011

Democrat Compares Republican­s to Nazis

p.s. Nazis killed 8 million Jews

[rougebaisers]

06:12 AM on 01/20/2011

How about BANNING ALL ASSAULT WEAPONS IN THIS COUNTRY? Think about this for a second. There are crazier people out there than the murderer who shot up Tuscon, and they may come out armed to the teeth en masse one day to make Tuscon pale in comparison. Americans must be forced, NO MATTER HOW PAINFUL IT IS, to end their mad love affair with assault weapons of murdering destruction.

[Reverendright]

06:48 AM on 01/20/2011

..

Assault Weapons are banned (fully automatic).

Assault STYLE weapons are legal (semi-automatic)
.

[RightnotLeft]

01:29 PM on 01/20/2011

I love my weapons dearly. Thought about it and disagree.

[breezyholler]

05:25 AM on 01/20/2011

The health care racket began to get out of hand when the advertising of medicines which required a prescription to purchase, started running on television. What these ads did was to cause everyone to suddenly begin to question their well being. Slick talking, golden voices, telling us all the possibilities.
Suddenly every little pain or panic required a pill, and from that point forward for the past 50 yrs., I have observed first hand "the weakening of the flesh & the spirit" of the American people. Being 67, I can remember when people only called a doctor if they were really sick. The doctor would come to the house if needed & he would charge $10 for the trip. Today you go to the doctor's office, get treated like a victim, and the cost is more like $400. We all need to remember that we descend from a much tougher breed of human being! We should all be very afraid of who we have become!

[breezyholler]

05:05 AM on 01/20/2011

Constantly having this healthcare debate pounding in our ears is enough to make us all sick. The brainwashing is reaching a fever pitch. To demonstrate how we are weakened by indoctrination: consider this..A woman gave birth to the first doctor, and we have since been programed to believe that a woman cannot give birth without the assistance of a doctor. Now they have the gall to tell us that 129 million of us have pre-existing conditions. That would mean that nearly half the population needs to see a doctor on a regular basis. I ain't buyin' it, these are scare tactics used by the Mafia-like big health and big pharma mobs to further their agendas!

[gcorleone]

07:34 AM on 01/20/2011

So our health records aren't private huh.

[Clarabell]

11:27 AM on 01/20/2011

You really do need to get yourself educated. Both regarding child birth and pre-existing conditions. And BTW do you think you are immune? What's your age? And FYI, cancer is the big unknown out there, and from my experiences in life, it seems to hit the most healthy. I was 42 and my daughter 5 1/2.

[Propaganda Panda]

04:32 AM on 01/20/2011

Uhhh.....okay? Anything else we can get you?

[onerpone321]

12:56 AM on 01/20/2011

Is it just me or does this lady need a makeover bad?

[lodger16x]

03:18 AM on 01/20/2011

She looks OK to me,. and is one of the few politicians who gets her facts straight.
America has the most expensive and exclusive health care system. Rates are rising relentlessly, because America puts health insurance profits above actual health of her people. 
The US idea to get employers involved in health care was unique, and is a failure. There is a good reason why every other "Western Civilizxation" nation has universal health care, and exactly zero of them want to adopt the US system.
The extreme right ring loves to wring its hands over threats to "western" values, but ridicules the "western" nations from which America was derived.

[Sundance7]

03:52 AM on 01/20/2011

You are both correct. I like this women very much but I do find her hair a distraction.

[UpFromLiberalism]

04:54 AM on 01/20/2011

let's not be catty and judge people by their looks.

[jan4insight]

12:47 AM on 01/20/2011

Good grief, this thread is a regular

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3BmbzwVIxI

[ClassicalGas]

07:35 AM on 01/20/2011

Sheesh - I guess so.

[rougebaisers]

06:15 AM on 01/20/2011

No. Let's rehab it. Let's run it by civilian rule of law and rename it.

[Slash14]

05:03 AM on 01/20/2011

Let's get rid of "term limits" for Christina