Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and Chairman Edward Kennedy’s chief deputy for health care reform, praised the HELP Committee’s for passing the Affordable Health Choices Act this morning.

“We began this process with a blank sheet of paper and a mandate from the American people. We all knew the history, marked with too many disappointments, and I said that this time would be different. Well, this time is different,” said Dodd. “The American people demanded legislation that protects their choice of doctors, hospitals, and insurance plans; cuts costs for families, businesses, and the federal government; and ensures that, in the wealthiest nation in the world, everyone has access to affordable, high-quality care. This time, we have produced the legislation Americans wanted. This time, we have delivered on the promise of real change.”

Below is the full text of Dodd’s closing statement - as prepared for delivery:

We began this process with a blank sheet of paper and a mandate from the American people.

The American people demanded legislation that protects their choice of doctors, hospitals, and insurance plans; cuts costs for families, businesses, and the federal government; and ensures that, in the wealthiest nation in the world, everyone has access to affordable, high-quality care.

They urged us to produce a smarter, more efficient health care system – one that eliminates waste, fraud, and abuse; focuses on keeping people well instead of just taking care of them when they’re sick; and relies on the expertise of our dedicated health professionals to improve outcomes for all.

They asked us to recognize the urgency of this moment and the impact our health care crisis is having on families and businesses across the nation, to fix the things that are broken without ruining the things that aren’t.

Most of all, the American people wanted us to act, to set aside politics as usual and find the health care reform solutions that have eluded Presidents and Congress alike for the last 60 years.

When we began this process, I spoke about that history, marked with too many disappointments, and I said that this time would be different.

Well, this time is different. This time, we have produced the legislation Americans wanted. This time, we have delivered on the promise of real change.

This Committee stands ready to take the first giant step towards an America where our health care system lives up to the lofty standard set by our talented health professionals.

Towards an America where health care is about the patient, not about the profit.

Towards an America where no parent lies awake at night hoping their kid’s fever goes down, because there’s no money to take him to a doctor.

Towards an America where no grandmother, unable to afford the prescriptions she needs to stay well, has to cut her pills in half.

Towards an America where no one falls into bankruptcy or loses their home just because they get sick and their insurance won’t cover their bills.

Towards an America where health care decisions are made by doctors and patients, not government bureaucrats or HMOs.

Towards an America where, when you get sick, your ability to receive quality, affordable care isn’t determined by your job, your income, or your zip code.

Towards an America where people don’t have to live in fear that if they lose their job, they might lose the insurance they rely on, or that it might be taken away by their insurance company at the moment they need it the most.

If you don’t have health insurance, this bill is for you. It stops insurance companies from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions. It guarantees that you’ll be able to find an insurance plan that works for you, including a public health insurance option if you want it. And it makes quality health care affordable and accessible to every American family.

If you have health insurance, but you still worry about how you’ll be able to afford the care you need, this bill is for you. It eliminates annual and lifetime caps on coverage, stops insurance companies from jacking up your premiums, and ensures that your out of pocket costs will never exceed your ability to pay.

And if you have health insurance that works well for you and your family, well, this bill is for you, too, because it will make sure that you won’t lose it. Good coverage isn’t good coverage unless it’s stable coverage – coverage that can’t be taken away, coverage that doesn’t slowly eat up your family budget, coverage that guarantees that you’ll always be able to get the treatment you need from the doctor you choose.

This is the bill we have been waiting – and fighting – for. And I’m proud that it has come from this Committee. Because it’s only right that the bill for which Americans have waited sixty years should come from the Committee chaired by Teddy Kennedy, who has fought for it for decades.

By the way, I spoke with Senator Kennedy this morning, and I want to pass along his best wishes to all of you. He’s thrilled that we’re poised to pass this bill.

When Sen. Kennedy asked me to chair these hearings in his absence, I decided two things. One, I would not let this committee fail. And, two, I would honor Sen. Kennedy’s commitment to incorporating good ideas from every perspective and from across the ideological spectrum.

I know that we’re not going to pass this bill unanimously. But I’m proud that my Republican colleagues, who may not even for vote the bill today, have helped us to make it better. And I want to thank them here as I have thanked them personally, for their ideas and for their participation in this critical debate.

Between the day we started with that blank sheet of paper and today, we have accepted 161 Republican amendments.

Sen. Gregg and a number of his fellow Republican were concerned about the long-term fiscal impact of our provisions on long-term care. So he offered an amendment that would require HHS to set and adjust premiums based on a 75-year outlook on the program’s solvency. At first, we weren’t sure about his approach, but we had a robust debate and eventually came to recognize the value in what he was proposing, so we accepted his amendment – and the bill is better for it.

Sen. Isakson brought to the table the issue of end of life care. Drawing on his own family’s experiences, he was able to talk about the importance of planning for last days of life, and the important role of advanced directives. We accepted a version of his amendment – and the bill is better for it.

Senators Enzi, Gregg, and Alexander wanted to increase employers’ flexibility to offer workplace wellness programs with incentives for employees. Some of my fellow Democrats had reservations about their proposal. But Senator Harkin and I worked together with our colleagues to craft a compromise version that we were able to pass on a bipartisan basis – and the bill is better for it.

I also want to add that I’m pleased with the inclusion of one of my own amendments, which will make sure that people making health care decisions for their families can compare apples to apples.

As it stands, when you go to pick an insurance plan, you often have to wade through an incredible amount of complicated industry jargon. My amendment requires that insurance companies lay it out for you in plain English so that you know exactly what you’re getting for your health care dollar.

In addition, my amendment gives you peace of mind that your coverage won’t be cut or taken away at the moment you need it most. We have seen all sorts of abuse on the part of insurance companies pulling the rug out from under people who need care, and my amendment put a stop to that by banning companies from rescinding coverage after the policy has taken effect.

Finally, my amendment builds on the strong consumer-protection work that is taking place in my home state of Connecticut. Residents of Connecticut are fortunate to have a Healthcare Advocate, Kevin Lembo, whom they can turn to when they have difficulties with their health plans. With my amendment, there will be a health insurance consumer advocate in every state to assist people with their insurance issues.

I want to thank my colleagues for their support, and I want to thank Senators on both sides of the aisle for their hard work.

Now, I know that this bill won’t get 100 votes on the floor of the Senate, or even 23 votes in this Committee.

And I know that the forces of the status quo are gearing up to stand in the way of reform once more.

But the status quo isn’t just unacceptable – it’s unsustainable.

If Congress does not act, we could be spending as much as 34 cents of every dollar on health care by the year 2040.

If Congress does not act, premiums will continue to rise, essential services will continue to be denied, and millions of Americans who today have health insurance will lose it.

And if Congress does not act, we will leave out in the cold the tens of millions of Americans who go to bed at night in the wealthiest country on the planet without insurance for themselves and their families.

To my colleagues in the full Senate, I ask you to look at what we’ve done here on this Committee. It took thirteen long days of markup, 23 mark-up sessions lasting 54 hours, hundreds of amendments, and thousands of staff hours. But we produced a good bill, the first major action this Congress has taken towards the reform this country needs, at half the cost that was originally forecast.

The road to final passage in the Senate will be long and difficult. But at this moment in history, when the American people have called upon all of us to tackle this great challenge, let us not settle. Let us not falter. Let us not fail.

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