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It is critical that we pass legislation to dramatically reform our health insurance system, and this reform should include a genuine public option, universal coverage, an end to insurance policy rescissions, and no restrictions against covering people with pre-existing conditions.

I want to level the playing field for people who want to purchase health insurance as individuals, and that means eliminating the exemption for employer-sponsored health care.

Let's drive the message home: we need health insurance reform, we need a strong public option, and we won't settle for less.

I believe we can incentivize more affordable health care in general by better regulating insurance and creating meaningful competition for health care services.

When I came to Congress, like our first panel, small business people, 64 percent of the people had health insurance. We'd buy it. Now, we're down to about 34 percent. That's why we have to do something on health care in this country because the cost is killing us.

We're trying to take a leadership role in solving the nation's health-care crisis. We want everybody in this country to have health insurance.

I understand that in these difficult economic times, the potential for any additional expense is not welcomed by American businesses. But in the long run, the health insurance reform law promises to cut health-care costs for U.S. businesses, not expand them.

Everyone should have health insurance? I say everyone should have health care. I'm not selling insurance.

I basically believe the medical insurance industry should be nonprofit, not profit-making. There is no way a health reform plan will work when it is implemented by an industry that seeks to return money to shareholders instead of using that money to provide health care.

Successful health reform must not just make health insurance affordable, affordable health insurance has to make health care affordable.