Ask any woman and she'll tell you: health care for women is more expensive than it is for men. In fact, during their reproductive years, women spend 68% more on health care than men do.
We will do for our kids in Illinois what our country decided to do 40 years ago for our senior citizens under the Medicare program. We will guarantee access to health care for our kids,
That's the best way to do it, versus taking money away from our schools, taking money away from providing health care for people,
That means they can't see a doctor when they need to, can't get the medicine they need, can't get the care they need,
I can't think of anything more important, ... (It's) something . . . that no state anywhere in America is currently doing, and that is to provide health care to every child.
Health care is not a privilege. It's a right, ... It's a right as fundamental as civil rights. It's a right as fundamental as giving every child a chance to get a public education.