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Edwards Campaign Press Release - Edwards Points To Universal Health Care Plan At Lance Armstrong Foundation Livestrong Presidential Cancer Forum

August 27, 2007

Cedar Rapids, Iowa – Speaking earlier today at the Lance Armstrong Foundation LIVESTRONG Presidential Cancer Forum in Cedar Rapids, Senator John Edwards announced his proposal for a new National Strategy for Cancer Survivorship and underscored America's need for universal healthcare. Edwards was the first presidential candidate to offer a truly universal health care plan – a plan which guarantees coverage for cancer screenings and treatment. At the forum, Edwards also addressed a variety of other topics, including campaign finance reform, ending the war in Iraq and caring for U.S. military veterans. The following excerpts are from Edwards' remarks in the question and answer session with moderators Chris Matthews and Lance Armstrong.

On the differences between his and Sen. Clinton's approaches to health care reform:

"[Sen. Clinton's] lesson is to give them a seat at the table. I think if you give drug companies and insurance companies a seat at the table, they will eat all the food. I think you have to take power away from them. I do not think they're ever going to voluntarily give away their power. You have to take them on, confront them, and fight them. I think that is the way we have universal health care – you have to take them on, confront them, and fight them."

On what he plans to do for the thousands of Americans who die each year because they do not have health insurance or money for treatment:

"There is an easy answer to that. I am proud that I came out with a truly universal health care plan that requires every single man and woman in America to have health care coverage. I actually think that is a question that should be put to every candidate, Democratic or Republican: If your health care plan doesn't cover everybody, then you should have to explain what this particular woman or child is not entitled to health care? Because my view is every single one of us have equal value and equal worth, and everybody's life is precious... Every single man and woman in this country should have health care coverage."

On ending the war in Iraq:

"This war in Iraq needs to be brought to an end in the worst possible way... I think that Congress should use absolutely every tool at their disposal – whatever they have to do to make George Bush start pulling troops out of Iraq, and that includes a filibuster. If he says he's going to veto the bill, what they should do is let him veto it and send him another one with a timetable for withdrawal. They should stand their ground. I think the American people have sent a very clear mandate in the last election."

On HMOs:

"Elizabeth and I have lived through this, to put this in perspective for everyone here – I am sure most people in the audience have been through this... We get statements from the insurance company about what is covered and what is not. I have absolutely no idea what those things mean – I'm a lawyer and I cannot make any sense out of them! I do not know how any reasonable person can understand what they are doing... I think the system is set up to deny benefits and deny coverage."

On health care for U.S. military veterans:

"What has happened is America asked these men and women to go serve us and to put their lives on the line, and then they come home and we leave them on their own. They did not leave us on our own. We have to be there for them. I think we should do several things. First, we should have guaranteed funding for the Veterans Administration, so the funding does not go up and down with each Congress. For every single man and woman who has served this country in Iraq – everyone – they should have their own individual, redeployment plan, which means we evaluate them for their needs... We should deal with their mental health needs and physical health needs. Beyond that, if any want more education, we should provide it. If they need more job training, we should provide it... I think we should be there for the whole transition back home."

John Edwards, Edwards Campaign Press Release - Edwards Points To Universal Health Care Plan At Lance Armstrong Foundation Livestrong Presidential Cancer Forum Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/294084

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