Progress Illinois

On Monday, we noted this exchange between CAN-TV host Frank Avila and 11th District GOP congressional candidate Marty Ozinga:

AVILA: Now what can be done about all the uninsured people and the under-insured people?

OZINGA: There are very few people nowadays that have no health service at all. Almost anybody -- I don't care who you are -- you go to the hospital and you get taken care of.

Today, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee responded to Ozinga's remark in a press release:

Ozinga's willfully ignorant comments showed how out-of-step he is with working families struggling to make ends meet and closely mirrored the disgraceful beliefs of President Bush, who stated last year, "I mean, people have access to health care in America. After all, you just go to an emergency room." [The White House, July 10, 2007]

"While concrete magnate Martin Ozinga and his fellow fat cats can walk into any hospital and be treated like princes, there are millions of Americans who lack basic health care, have to wait in endless lines, and face near financial ruin from emergency medical care," said Ryan Rudominer, DCCC Midwest Regional Press Secretary. "The people of Illinois 11th Congressional District deserve an independent fighter who will stand up to powerful interests and fight for affordable health care for children and working families, not an out-of-touch corporate titan who echoes President Bush."

You can watch Ozinga's full discussion of health care below.

He begins talking about the topic at the 38:30 mark and makes the above comment at the 43:40 mark. Around the 46:30 mark, Avila presses Ozinga on how exactly he would address those Americans who simply can't afford health insurance. Ozinga answers that "there are people in certain income brackets" who should get "some type of government-related health care eligibility." He then minimizes the health care problem once again, adding that "to a certain extent we already have that" -- apparently referring to Medicaid. It's worth a watch.