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“Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to celebrate our nation's diversity and to highlight the accomplishments of Hispanic Americans in all walks of life - from business and education to government and the arts. It is also a time to pause and reflect on the many challenges facing our Hispanic community - challenges we must all come together to solve..."

Health insurance reform opponents continue to spread myths about components of America's Affordable Health Choices Act, including the outrageous scare tactic that reform will lead to rationed care and will harm people with disabilities. In fact, the House bill protects people with disabilities from discrimination and unfair business practices that have resulted in loss of coverage and denial of care. This critical legislation will help ensure that all Americans -- including those with disabilities -- have access to affordable, high quality health coverage ... and that insurance company bureaucrats are no longer rationing care based on health, age, or ability to pay--instead putting doctors and patients back in charge of health care decisions.

Today, the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee held forum to highlight the urgent need for comprehensive health insurance reform. Democratic Steering and Policy Committee co-chairs Rep. George Miller (D-CA) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) chaired the forum, featuring a panel of experts on health insurance, the health insurance industry, and health insurance reform.

Speaker Pelosi opened the forum:

As President Obama has said: 'Health insurance reform is entitlement reform.' We must reverse the upward spiral of increasing cost, which again, adds an additional priority to our budget and to future generations. We have a moral responsibility to stop that and to reverse that.

It is my distinct honor to bring you greetings on the occasion of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) virtual march on Washington, DC -- an innovative way to ensure Americans across the country are able to voice their support for our nation's veterans. I commend the DAV for increasing awareness about the issues veterans are facing. Our nation owes a debt of gratitude to our servicemen and women, veterans and their families for the sacrifices they have made for us all. It is our responsibility to care for and honor them.

At the beginning of the 111th Congress, DAV and other leading veterans groups began advocating for funding three key Department of Veterans Affairs programs in advance of the start of each fiscal year.

This morning, the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee is holding a forum at 9 am EST to highlight the urgent need for comprehensive health insurance reform. Democratic Steering and Policy Committee co-chairs Rep. George Miller (D-CA) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) will chair the forum, which will feature a panel of experts on health insurance, the health insurance industry, and health insurance reform. The Speaker and the chairs of the House Energy and Commerce, Rules, and Ways and Means Committees will also participate.

Panelists

Karen Davis, Commonwealth Fund

John Arensmeyer, Chief Executive Officer, Small Business Majority

Jacob Hacker, Stanley B. Resor Professor of Political Science, Yale University

J. James Rohack, MD, president of the American Medical Association (AMA)