Throughout the time I have served in Congress I have consistently supported proposals to provide universal health care to all our citizens.  While these proposals have been criticized as too expensive, I continue to believe that a universal health care program of some kind is the only effective way to meet the challenge of rising health care costs.  The current system encourages cost shifting and virtually assures that all people without coverage will get medical treatment only in emergencies and in hospital emergency rooms, the most expensive medical treatment.