Health Care Reform

Floor Speech

Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to tell the story of an 11-year-old boy from Washington State who visited Congress last week to lobby for health care reform. His name is Marcellas Owens, and he had lost his uninsured mother to pulmonary hypertension which could have been treated.

He shared his story with Senator Patty Murray and then presented to an audience of 100 people at a hearing, telling them that he thought ``health care should be for everyone.'' He was an articulate and bright young man, and his story exemplifies why we desperately need health reform.

So in one of the clearest signs of Republican desperation, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and Michelle Malkin took to the airwaves to tear Marcellas apart. Mr. Limbaugh came up with the most unconscionable line, telling his listeners, I would say this to Marcellas Owens, ``Well, your mother would have died anyway because ObamaCare doesn't kick in until 2014.''

FOXNews' Michelle Malkin came in a close second with a column entitled ``Desperate Dems Cling to Human Kiddie Shield.'' Perhaps the only accurate word in Ms. Malkin's piece was ``desperation,'' but she used it to describe the wrong party.

In all my years of public service, I can't remember the last time I saw such a cheap and disgraceful campaign. Republican determination to derail reform at any cost is reprehensible, and I cannot find words to describe how shameful I think it is to direct vitriol at an 11-year-old boy who lost his mother.

On my way to work this morning, I saw a group of tea baggers, and I'm really happy that they will be in Washington to witness Congress pass this historic health care bill tomorrow. When I got to the office, I did a little research on my own and found the Web site of a tea bagger group called the 9/12 project, which includes a page which they call ``the nine principles.''

Number 7 reads, ``I work hard for what I have, and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable.'' That reminds me of another gem Glenn Beck said on his show last week, when he had started criticizing a new poverty measure that would help us understand what it really means to be poor in this country. He said that if it were implemented, he would be considered poor. Glenn Beck reportedly made $23 million last year, which means that in one workday, he earns the equivalent of what four families earn in poverty over a whole year.

``Government cannot force me to be charitable.'' I have always been a little confused about what would motivate someone to get up in the morning to attack an 11-year-old boy who lost his mom or compel someone to drive 500 miles to protest reforms that would help millions of Americans.

But I'm finally beginning to understand the mentality behind the tea party crowd and its spokespeople Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and Michelle Malkin. They are simply selfish, greedy, and indifferent, and they don't seem to care about helping anyone in need.

I should note that when Marcellas heard what these three said about him, he graciously responded by saying, ``My mother always taught me they can have their own opinion, but that doesn't mean they are right.'' When an 11-year-old outshines and outclasses your party's three top mouthpieces, it might be time to look for some replacements.

When I vote for health care reform tomorrow, I will dedicate it to Marcellas Owens and the memory of his mom. And if I had to write my seventh principle, I think I would use one of the my favorites quotes from the book of James in the Bible. ``Suppose a brother or a sister is in rags with not enough food for the day, and one of you says, `Good luck to you, keep yourselves warm and have plenty to eat,' but does nothing to supply their bodily needs. What is the good of that? So with faith; if it does not lead to action, it is in itself a lifeless thing.''

That is what we are doing here. We are making the first step to return to the concept of the common good that we will take care of each other.

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