Affordable Health Care for All
In the wealthiest nation in the world, it is inconceivable that anyone could lack access to health care. Yet there are at least 47 million Americans - including 11 million children - who are uninsured. Health care for a family of four costs more than a minimum wage worker earns in a year. That's wrong and it creates a burden on both working Americans and the hospitals and doctors who treat them. It's clear that our system isn't working, and Americans are suffering as a result.
Affordable health care should be a right, not a privilege, and it is our moral responsibility to ensure that no American has to choose between receiving the care they need and putting food on the table. That's why I gave a speech at historic Faneuil Hall in Boston to emphasize my commitment to affordable health care for all and to offer solutions to our broken system.
Our first priority must be to cover all children, no questions asked. My Kids First Act, which I submitted to the Senate last year, would provide health coverage for every child in America through age 21. By requiring the federal government to take over Medicaid, states would be free to expand coverage for children above the poverty line. When passed, this proposal will save Massachusetts more than $219 million dollars a year, and states across the country will save over $6 billion a year. It's not only fiscally responsible; it's morally responsible.
Every American should have access to the same type of health care plan that Congress gives itself. If it's good enough for Members of Congress, then it's good enough for average Americans, and I would provide tax credits to make it affordable for those who fall through the cracks of our current system - the working class, small business owners and employees, and people between jobs.
I know this plan sounds expensive, but it could be easily paid for by repealing President Bush's tax cuts for those earning over $200,000. It's a matter of priorities. What is more important to us - ensuring affordable, quality health care for every American, or giving another tax break to those who need it least?
Affordable health care should be a right, not a privilege, and I will continue to fight in the Senate for health care for all.
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