Senate Proceeding 04-28-09 on Apr 28th, 2009 :: 1:43:05 to 1:55:25
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1:43:02 to 1:43:23( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: the presiding officer: the senator from ms. landrieu: thank you, mr. president. i ask unanimous consent to dispense with the roll call. the presiding officer: without objection. ms. landrieu: thank you, mr. president. i'd like to speak, if i might, up to ten minutes, maybe slightly longer, about the nomination of sebelius to be the director, the secretary of the department of

1:43:05 to 1:55:25( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Mary Landrieu

1:43:24 to 1:43:44( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: health and human services. i'd like to speak on behalf of the governor because i think she's such an outstanding candidate for this particular jo and as i look country, with many of my fill this position, i have to say that i was very, very

1:43:45 to 1:44:05( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: pleased with the president's action to tap her for this important position, because right now this secretary is going to be charged with fulfilling the that all americans should have health coverage. this is an idea that other presidents have shared, that

1:44:06 to 1:44:28( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: many leaders in congress, both republicans and democrats, have thought it would be remarkable and wonderful for our country, the developed, extraordinary nation that we are, to find a way did, a cost-effective in my view,opefully a market-based approach to solving one of the great challenges of

1:44:29 to 1:44:50( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: our time, which is to provide health insurance, good coverage, for workers in the most productive nation on earth. and it really is a failing, in society, in our government, that we haven't in over

1:44:51 to 1:45:13( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: been able to accomplish that. we have accomplished so many things that are a credit to our country, but we have -- this is a -- this has alluded us. -- this has eluded us. when president obama ran in his campaign -- and when i heard him speak right here in the house chamber for the joint he again expressed his passion

1:45:14 to 1:45:35( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: for trying to find the solution. well, one of the first steps to finding a solution is finding a leader who has a good record of finding solutions on her own, a good record of working across party lines to jobs done. so in his action to really

1:45:36 to 1:45:56( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: achieve this goal, he's made a great firsttep to at least present to the senate for our consideration a person that doest have a weak record but a strong record in this effort. first of all, i submit that as governor -- a democratic governor of kansas, you have to be pretty good as a democrat, first of all, to get elected in

1:45:57 to 1:46:17( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: kansas because, like louisiana, it tending tendiit tends to be a more conservative state. obviously, this governor has demonstrated over and over and over again -- as insurance commissioner, as governor of kansas -- the ability to get the job done sms she was tapped

1:46:18 to 1:46:39( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: before she was governor by a governor of kansas to help actually implement and lead the children'sealth program. an her record is clear in the success of this program. she, as insurance commissioner, had a great deal of interaction withnsurers in that state, health insurers

1:46:40 to 1:47:00( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: that, you know, indicate to us that she has the experience and the ability to do this. and, as governor herself, government during her time as governor on all of these health care matters, leads me to the conclusion -- and i hope many of my

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

Mary Landrieu: job done. and the sooner that we confirm her, the better. i was very impressed to hear -- because i don't serve on this committee -- that at her hearing senator roberts, our colleague, who is of the other party, voted and spoke in her favor and voted for

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

Mary Landrieu: and even more impressive to me was that former senator bob dole testified for her. this is not a typical, at all, partisan i mean, this is a person that has demonstrated through her leadership for many years in the state of kansas the ability to tackle the toughest jobs, bring

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

Mary Landrieu: people from various viewpoints together, and that is the kind of leadershi that i think america is looking for right now. recent days, outbreak of the swine flu in our country should compel the members of this body to know

1:48:05 to 1:48:25( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: that this is not a job that should have a vacancy sign on the door right now. there could potentially be a the governor is preparing, hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. while secretary napolitano has been charged with this task to coordinate federal

1:48:26 to 1:48:47( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: frankly don't feel very comfortable having this job vacant. and the faster that we can get her in this position extraordinary credentials, the better. i would like to say just a few other things. as the chair of the small business committee, i have to say, again, for the record -- and i thin

1:48:48 to 1:49:08( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: maine, my ranking member and long-serving member of this committee would say the same thing if she were here -- that no matter what we call a on in the small business committee, it can be on procurement, it could be a hearing on credit markets, it could be a hearing had on the small business

1:49:09 to 1:49:31( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: administration itself -- mr. president, as i am standing here, every small business person almost to the man woman will say, senators, before this isn't the subject of this hearing, but could i please say, i can't afford my health insurance. can i please say that it is very important for this country to

1:49:32 to 1:49:52( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: find a entrepreneurs to get health insurance. and just for the record, small businesses who employ the vast majority of people in country, the percentage of coverage has dropped in the last seven years from 68% of those businesses providing coverag

1:49:53 to 1:50:14( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: down to 59%. and i know in my own personal experience, dozens of people -- dozens of people -- who would say, you know, mary, i'd like to start a business. i think i have a good idea. and actually i have some to start it. but i can't give up my health

1:50:15 to 1:50:36( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: insurance, because i h preexisting condition or i have a son with leukemia or i have a daughter that has a compromised, you know, immune system. i cannot tell you how strongly i feel that our country is actually not only throwing cold

1:50:37 to 1:50:57( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: water but almost freezing water on the entrepreneurial spirit because we can't seem to figure out how to provide health insurance, not just for big companies but for medium companies and for emerging companies and to have that portable and to have it there when people want company and take a risk that they might risk their business,

1:50:58 to 1:51:19( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: but they're not risking their life. i mean, this is a little too much business. you may risk your home, you may risk your fortune, but to ask people to ris littlery dick lurks i think. and that's where we are. so the faster we can get someone in this position that can help put their shoulder to the wheel

1:51:20 to 1:51:41( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: to help our small businesses to come up with a way, the better. and finally, i want to mention two issues briefly. one, we concentrate a lot in this department on health care. and that, of course, is the president's priority and is our priority, and we agree. but i don't want to fail to mention that i think this governor would be an extraordinary advocate for foster care children.

1:51:42 to 1:52:03( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: those are the 500,000 children, many of them have 4.0's amazingly. many of them are the most extraordinary children i've gotten to meet many of these young people as chairman of the adoption caucus for foster care. despite the fact that some of them have spent several years of their life living in an automobile. one of them said to me one day

1:52:04 to 1:52:24( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: that she got so hungry, she would just eat paper. the only thing that made it edible was she would pour a little salt on it when she was really hungry to help herself put something in her stomach. these 500,000 children people need someone like governor sebelius because these are children that are in the

1:52:25 to 1:52:48( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: custody of the government, the united states government along with partners of our 50 states have o children for their health, for their education, to try to help them launch successfully in life. once we've terminated parental rights in many instances for go obligation to be their parents and to reconnect them through

1:52:49 to 1:53:09( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: adoption, if possible, or to long-term guardianship. and we need somebody in this position that can do that. so i know of her heart for foster care, for orphans, for adoption. i think she'll be a wonderful advocate to keep our adoption tax credit in place and to help

1:53:10 to 1:53:31( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: us with chairman grassley, who he and i have been working on this with many other members, a way to financing we fd our foster care adoption system in this country so that the money doesn't fund the system but funds the child. so the money supports the

1:53:32 to 1:53:52( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: decisions of that good, solid judge that has a plan for the child. the problem is there's no money for the child because we're giving the money to the system instead of tying the money to the child. senator grassley and i have a vision to make that better. and so i hope that we can confirm governor sebelius

1:53:53 to 1:54:13( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: knowing she has a proven record of governing a state that's not easy for a d very popular, which takes a great deal of and age, given the partisan nature of our politics. we need to have, you know, a "position filled" sign as

1:54:14 to 1:54:34( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: opposed to a vacancy sign in this we need somebody that understands the practical approach to governing that is going to deliver for this president and for us. finally for the american people, a health care system that we can depend on, that we can afford and that promotes risk taking and entrepreneurship, which is

1:54:35 to 1:54:56( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: the founding principle in many ways of this wonderful country. so i thank you for opportunity to speak on behalf of the governor. and i would urge our colleagues to not wait any longer and to confirm this nominee and to give her the support that she needs and not apply any litmus test on any particur issue but to give

1:54:57 to 1:55:21( Edit History Discussion )

Mary Landrieu: her the chance that she, i think, wants to have. i'm confident she wants to have to do a good job for us all. and i yield the floor and the presiding officer: the clerk will call the