Senate Proceeding on Apr 28th, 2009 :: 1:45:15 to 1:55:10
Total video length: 2 hours 35 minutes Stream Tools: Stream Overview | Edit Time

Note: MetaVid video transcripts may contain inaccuracies, help us build a more perfect archive

Views:94 Duration: 0:09:55 Discussion

Previous speech:

Next speech:

1:45:07 to 1:45:30( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: mr. nelson: m the presiding officer: the senator from florida. mr. nelson: mr. president, i rise in support of the nomination of governor kathleen sebelius to be secretary of h h.s. i do so enthusiastically. i do so as a personal kathleen.

1:45:15 to 1:55:10( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Bill Nelson

1:45:31 to 1:45:54( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: i do so as someone -- as a fellow public servant who has observed her service to her state of kansas and to the people of this country.

1:45:55 to 1:46:16( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: a dozen years ago -- a more. it was actually about 14 years ago, she was elected, unusually, as a democrat in republican kansas in a statewide office known as insurance commissioner. it's a little-known and

1:46:17 to 1:46:37( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: thankless job but one that has traditionally been under the thumb of the insurance industry. she came out of the kansas legislatur, so she schooling in the art of political craft. indeed, that started long before

1:46:38 to 1:47:00( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: she ever entered the kansas legislature the governor of ohio. so it's in her genes. her father-in-law was the longtime republican congressman

1:47:01 to 1:47:21( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: from kansas, and in that very republican state, they elected a democrat as the insurance commissioner. it was not a close election. but it was one in which, once she was installed as insurance

1:47:22 to 1:47:43( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: commissioner, she started showing people who was boss. the elected representative of the people of kansas was going to administer the laws with regard to the protection of consumers, which is the purpose

1:47:44 to 1:48:04( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: of having an insurance advocate for the people. so often what has happened in the very states continue to elect their insurance commissioner. it's known as the office of the

1:48:05 to 1:48:26( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: revolving door since most of the insurance commissioners are appointed. the revolving door starts with the insurance industry having a representative that is appointed by the appointing authority -- usually the someone that is knowledgeable

1:48:27 to 1:48:47( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: about insurance commissioner. but, to revolve. and the average time of service for an appointed insurance commissioner is less than one year.

1:48:48 to 1:49:09( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: and, as a result, as you watch the door revolve, they come in from the insurance industry, become the top regulator of the insurance industry, and on the average in less than a year the door revolves, they're out the

1:49:10 to 1:49:30( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: door, and they're back in the very industry from whence they came. now, that's not the to have an insurance regulator. and kathleen sebelius defied that model as the elected

1:49:31 to 1:49:51( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: insurance commissioner of kansas. she stood up for the consumer rights and she cracked the whip to get the insurance companies to offer this product that has now become a necessity, not a luxury. why? because you can't drive a car

1:49:52 to 1:50:13( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: without insurce, you can't own a home, if you have a mortgage, without insurance. you better have some life insurance, if you're planning for your and, oh, by the way, we haven't even talked about health insurance.

1:50:14 to 1:50:35( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: about -- a huge percentage -- it's well over a majority of the people in this cntry get their health insurance through their employer. as we approach the issue of health care reform, what to do

1:50:36 to 1:50:56( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: about insurance is going to be front and center and governor sebelius is someone who is uniquely qualified in order to be able to address this issue head on. we have 47 this country that do not he

1:50:57 to 1:51:19( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: health insurance, but they health care. where do they get the health care? they get it from the most expensive place, which is the emergency room, and they get it at the most which is when their symptoms have turned into a

1:51:20 to 1:51:43( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: emergency and, therefore, because they do not have health insurance, they w doctor for preventive care, and all of this additional cost, plus the additional cost of being treated in an emergency room all of us pick up that tab.

1:51:44 to 1:52:04( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: and that additionally is plowed back in to the cost that we pay for health care, in large part through the insurance premiums that we pay. so who has been there, she has done that, she knows how this

1:52:05 to 1:52:27( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: insurance system operates, she knows the parameters in which you have to offer health insurance to people in order to make the financing behind it, she is uniquely

1:52:28 to 1:52:48( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: position of secretary of h.h.s. now, i -- since i have the privilege ofeing a friend, who i have known her over these 14 years in our compass capacities as elected -- in our capacities as elected insurance commissioners, she

1:52:49 to 1:53:10( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: from kansas and me from florida, and then as i have continued see her in her public srvetion then having gone from insurance commissioner to comes at a time when this nation is begging for health care reform the president has chosen

1:53:11 to 1:53:31( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: kathleen in this exceptionally important position to not o use her skills as a former regulator, where she can crack the whip, but to use as a person who can bring

1:53:32 to 1:53:53( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: together, who can reconcile, who can build consensus, which she has honed suspect honed those skills at the knee of her father as she was growing up. honed those skills as a public

1:53:54 to 1:54:14( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: servt, as a legislator, as an elected statewide official, as the governor, and now she will be the right person at the time that this nation needs: a

1:54:15 to 1:54:35( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: very good secretary of health and human services. and i would suggest the absence -- well, before i do, mr. president, i have 14 unanimous consent requests r the committees to meet during today' session of the senate.

1:54:36 to 1:55:00( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: they have the approval of majority and minority leaders, and i ask u these requests be agreed to, that these requests be in the record. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. nelson: mr. president, i suggest the absence the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll.