Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) broke down in tears several times on the House floor Wednesday afternoon as he read letters from people who said their loved ones died because they were uninsured.
The letters were sent to Grayson through namesofthedead.com — a Web site he unveiled on the House floor last week to call attention to the number of people who have died because they did not have access to health care.
Grayson concluded his remarks by reiterating his call for Congress to finish their “work of universal health care in America.”
“For god's sake, I look forward to a time when we have finally done our jobs,” he said.
Grayson’s site came under scrutiny shortly after it was launched when Republicans pointed out Grayson included a link to his campaign Web site — a potential violation of ethics rules that bars Members from mixing official business with campaign business.
Grayson later removed the campaign link from the site.
The Wednesday afternoon tribute comes one day after Grayson apologized for referring to an aide to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke as “a K Street whore” in a radio interview.
Grayson rose to prominence last month for saying that the Republicans’ plan for reforming health care was for the sick to “die quickly.” He used the ensuing controversy — driven largely by GOP complaints about his remark — to raise thousands for his re-election campaign.
Rep. Bill Cassidy has his blood drawn by Alesha Barbour during a free hepatitis screening in the Rayburn House Office Building hosted by the Congressional Viral Hepatitis Caucus to recognize "National Viral Hepatitis Testing Day."
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