Get out of the way!

Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL), who recently gained notoriety by saying the Republicans' healthcare plan was that Americans should not get sick and die quickly when they do, let loose on the floor of the House last night, saying he would not apologize and telling the GOP to get out of the way. Awesome. [H/T to Shaker Constant Comment.]

[Transcript below.]

Madame Speaker, I have words for both Democrats and Republicans tonight. Let's start with the Democrats.

We as a party have spent the last six months, the greatest minds of our party, dwelling on the question, the unbelievably consuming question, of how to get Olympia Snowe to vote for healthcare reform.

I want to remind us all: Olympia Snowe was not elected president last year. Olympia Snowe has no veto power in the Senate. Olympia Snowe represents a state with one-half of one percent of America's population.

What America wants is healthcare reform. America doesn't care if it gets fifty-one votes in the Senate or sixty votes in the Senate or eighty-three votes in the Senate. In fact, America doesn't even care about that; it doesn't care about that at all. What America cares about is this: There are over one million Americans who go broke every single year trying to pay their healthcare bills. America cares a lot about that.

America cares about the fact that there are forty-four thousand, seven hundred, eighty Americans who die every single year on account of not having healthcare. That's a hundred and twenty-two every day. America sure cares a lot about that.

America cares about the fact that if you have a preexisting condition, even if you have health insurance, it's not covered. America cares about that a lot.

America cares about the fact that you can get all the healthcare you need, as long as you don't need any. America cares about that a lot.

But America does not care about procedures, processes, personalities—America doesn't care about that at all. So we have to remember that as Democrats. We have to remember that what's at stake here is life and death, enormous amounts of money, and people are counting upon us to move ahead. America understands what's good for America. America cares about healthcare; America cares about jobs; America cares about education, about energy independence. America does not care about process or politicians or personalities or anything like that.

And I have a few words for my Republican friends tonight, as well. I guess I do have some Republican friends [grins].

Let me say this: Last week, I held up this report here and I pointed out that, in America, there is forty-four thousand, seven hundred, eighty-nine Americans who die every year—according to this Harvard report, published in a peer-reviewed journal—because they have no health insurance. That's an extra forty-four thousand, seven hundred, eighty-nine Americans who die, whose lives could be saved.

And their response was to ask me for an apology. To ask me for an apology. That's right—to ask me for an apology.

Well, I'm telling you this: I will not apologize. I will NOT apologize!

I will not apologize for a simple reason: America doesn't care about your feelings! I violated no rules by pulling this report to America's attention; I think a lot of people didn't know about it beforehand.

But America does care about healthcare in America. And if you're against it, then get out of the way! Just get out of the way. You can lead, you can follow, or you can get out of the way. And I'm telling you now to get out of the way.

America understands that there's one party in this country that's in favor of healthcare reform, and one party that's against it, and they know why. They understand that if Barack Obama were somehow able to cure hunger in the world, the Republicans would blame him for overpopulation. They understand that if Barack Obama could somehow bring about world peace, they'd blame him for destroying the defense industry. In fact, they understand that if Barack Obama has a BLT sandwich tomorrow for lunch, they will try to ban bacon!

But that's not what America wants. America wants solutions to its problems, and that begins with healthcare, and that's what I'm speaking for tonight.

I yield the rest of my time.