How the Republicans Failed to Cut Off My Health Care Speech

Last night, the House Republicans tried, and failed, to squelch a speech that I gave on health care. I intend to vote for the health care bill because that bill saves lives. And I also intend to speak out, as loudly as I can, on behalf of those Americans who cannot speak out, those who have died because they had no health insurance. And the Republicans tried, and failed, to shut me down, to shut down the truth.

Here's what happened.

I had reserved an hour on the Floor of the House for a "special order." When the hour began, I noted that a Harvard study had concluded that 44,789 Americans die each year because they have no health insurance. I also noted that the Urban Institute had released figures on the number of uninsured in each Congressional district. Observing that every single House Republican had pledged to block health coverage for the insured, I then did the math:

"Alabama District 1, Congressman Jo Bonner, 114 dead."
"Alabama District 3, Congressman Mike Rogers, 88 dead."

I continued for 23 minutes, from Alabama to Ohio. Then the Republicans demanded that I "yield," so they could object and interrupt me. I said no: "My time is limited, and I intend to use it." Flustered, the Republicans then asked my "words be taken down," and threatened to call a roll-call vote, at 8 p.m., on whether I should be sanctioned. This halted the proceedings, as you can see here.

The House staff informed the Republicans that I had violated no rule of the House. The Republicans then insisted on reviewing a recording of my speech, going through it with a fine-tooth comb to see if there was anything objectionable. They found nothing. Then they asked to "ring the bells" before the proceedings resumed, wasting another 15 minutes. Finally, after an hour of Republican stalling, I finished the list:

"Wyoming, Congressman Cynthia Lummis, 73 dead."

For the remainder of this hour, I then read real-life stories from the website namesofthedead.com. These are submitted by people who lost loved ones because they had no health insurance.

They used to call President Harry Truman 'Give 'em Hell Harry'. But President Truman said, "I don't give them hell; I just tell the truth and they think it's hell." I'm telling the Republicans this: Lives are at stake. If you can't stand the heat on health care, then get out of the kitchen.

 

Comments

[DKProfilesinPeace]

THANK YOU Congressman Grayson!!! You're a TRUE profile in courage . . .

[AnneOlivia]

I love this man! It makes me want to move to Florida (which I call "Crazy Land") just so I can vote for him.

Keep going! Keep going! Keep going!

[TucsonKK]

Thanks for standing up in Congress.

Why are the Nutty REP. allowed to make horrible and anti-government speeches on the Congress floor. There must be a law against that!

Why are the DEM. so afraid of the REP. Fringe and their Socialism Rant?

Every DEM. should wear a "Maybe it is time for a little Socialism" T-shirt and maybe that will shut the NUTS UP!

Why is that in other countries when born you are guaranteed Health Care, Higher Education
or Training, and a Job?

[mobetta]

As a constituent of yours, Congressman Grayson: THANKS!!
As a victim of economic losses resulting from the Commodity Futures Modernization Act and the Enron loophole, written partly by Enron lobbyist, Linda Robertson, for whom you had strong words, I asked a Central Florida journalist, who attacked you rather than your message, to present a “fair and balanced” story about WHY you called her what you did.
If he had presented the whole truth: that because of her greed and CFMA, thousands of Enron employees lost their jobs and their retirements and millions more, such as myself, suffered significant life changing economic losses, I’m sure these people would consider your comments an understatement.
This law enabled Enron and Exxon to report record profits while California and Aunt Millie suffered under a “non-energy crisis” and Americans were paying $4/gal for gas. Moreover, bankers, who gambled with, lost and pillaged our 401Ks, then received bailouts of our tax dollars were able to declare “profits” so they could pay unconscionable bonuses to the same people who caused most of these problems while more Americans lose their homes, their jobs and their insurance as they finance this legalized larceny on their way to bankruptcy.
What happened to the $2.2 Trillion that the Fed gave away?!?

[NoFactsJustTruth]

Thank you for caring enough to do this, Congressman Grayson, and proving again the hypocrisy of republican'ts is SO complete - the TRUTH sends them into panic attacks of denial. That they refuse to view the consequences of their actions, in the face of such irrefutable FACTS as the death of OUR citizens (and just what it means to preserve the status quo) is really no surprise. When individuals lie to themselves as much as they do to others, their reality must be affected and a psychosis developed that must forever then be rationalized. I begin to think many true hypocrites of both politics and religion (often one and the same person) are no longer capable of even understanding the attribute's nature, and they'll inevitably then claim empowerment from their god - for THEIR unrighteous actions.

PLEASE - keep after the TRUTH, sir.

[lentinelia]

Rep. Grayson said that the bill that was about to be passed by the House would be "comprehensive" and "universal".

From what I have read, the bill is far from universal and far from comprehensive.

I wonder what he might have to say about it.

[NoFactsJustTruth]

That it was 10 to 15 times better than ANYTHING proposed by republican'ts?

[lentinelia]

10 or 15 times inadequate = zero.

[S Andersen]

Grayson, a true American statesman, puts people first.

You, Sir, are a personal hero of mine.

THANK YOU!

[CanUFeel2012]

GRAYSON RULES.....

[Cambridge9]

Isn't it incredible that these 'Right to Lifers' who go ahead and put women's rights back 50 years are the same people who decide to let people who are already on this earth DIE because, once they are out of the womb, the couldn't give a d@mn!

Keep it up Alan. We need a lot more like you.

I really wish this man was my representative. But really NOT because he is EVERY caring person's representative!

Fanned!

[BN2112]

Nice to see you put "Right to lifers" in quotes. I hesitate to call them 'pro-life' or 'right to life' myself when the only life they seem to care for are those in the womb or plugged into life support devices. Many of them haven't seen a war they don't support and once a child IS born they typically believe they should survive based on their place in the free market.

[Citizen-Jane]

Well said and agree.

[S Andersen]

Well said indeed!

[trappedinaredstate]

It's all about presentation with these people. Give it a warm and fuzzy name and you can attract a few more adherents.

I prefer to call them 'Pro Control' instead of 'pro-life' or 'right to life' because that's exactly what they are and what they stand for. If they were 'right to life' they would also be anti death penalty and as we all know, most of them are not.

[poobah]

Sort of makes you wonder exactly how much they care about the ones in the womb other than the fact that saying that they do gets them votes from the religious right.

[Fastdrum]

That's republicans for you, the party of lifers who put women back 50 years, the party who say government should get out of the way, but who loves to get in the way of women having the right to choose; loves to get in the way of gays getting married; and so on. They are the party of hypocrisy.

I'm not a huge fan of populism, or of grayson, but I think this was a fantastic speech, even if a bit monotone. it's really what it comes down to. to me, this cleared all the noise coming from all sides.

[sixpm]

Your only mistake is to assume they even care about people in the womb. It's all a charade.

[Cambridge9]

I think that's my point.

As soon as the child is breathing air the opposition fights AGAINST SChip, they care little about the quality of pre-schools, No Child Left Behind has left MANY children behind because they have ONLY been taught to the test rather than to their ability.

And then, when they finish school, can't get a job and join the military, they are sent to die in the desert where we have been willing to spend billions on infrastructure, schools, hospitals and embassies which have seldom been completed to standard while our own infrastructure is left to collapse. Working on our own infrastructure would, at least, have given them an income to support their own families.

It's a vicious cycle.

[Star2000dancer]

Dennis Kucinich is my man. And he voted no, so there's something very wrong with it.

[bmull]

Mine too, and there is.

[lashuan]

this guy is awesome... he is doing the real people's work!!!

[free-thinking]

Alan Grayson should have ended by saying that the real "Death Panel" is the Republican Party.

[Star2000dancer]

It's all the elites.

[Gronkie]

and the health insurance companies.

[DWMH1313]

I actually like this guy, and it disturbs me for some reason...

[darter22]

Thank you, Congressman Grayson, for speaking truth to power.

[Karl Jonas]

Grayson for President.

Finally, a Democrat with balls!