| Democratic candidate for Senate, Bill Barnes, scoffs at the GOP's contention that people without health insurance "can just go to the emergency room" and stresses his opposition to the repeal of health insurance reform in this interview with Left in Alabama. Barnes is running against Richard Shelby who's against pretty much everything - extension of unemployment benefits, Lilly Ledbetter, economic stimulus, health reform, and any type of government spending outside his state.  Here's a partial transcript of Barnes' statement and the video (about 3 1/2 minutes) is on the flip:
I would not support repeal of health care legislation.
Let me just back up a moment.... The initial efforts to effect national health legislation goes way back to 1946 - President Truman - and it' never been passed and has come up time after time over the years.
President Obama campaigned on health reform and the idea of affordable health care for all individuals and he was elected to the presidency based on that being a major part of his platform. The people spoke. I think itwould be an injustice to the American people to repeal what was passed.
We should have affordable health care for everyone!
If we have someone who's unemployed and drawing nothing more than unemployment benefit, how can they afford to go to the doctor? If you go to one of the local clinics, it costs you $100 just to walk in the door and see the doctor. And then there's the medications on top of that.
Now, how can anyone that has lost their job and has a sick child or spouse meet that type of burden?
I've done bankruptcies in my practice for people and one of the things that I've found is that a majority of them - about 60% - have to declare bankruptcy because of the lack of health insurance. A medical situation has caused a catastrophe in their lives because they can't meet the expense.
The Republicans will say that "all they had to do was go to the emergency room" and that is nonsense. The law says that all the emergency room has to do is stabilize them - stop the bleeding and turn them loose. That's all they're obligated to do.
And that's not the way American should be. We take care of one another.
In Bill Barnes' America, "we take care of one another." In Big Dick Shelby's America, "we take care of our campaign contributors." Which America appeals more to you? Donate to the campaign and volunteer to help elect Bill Barnes to the US Senate. |
