Political Quotes

“There are so many things that I would like to say in response to so many Senators. Before I do that, I want to straighten a few things out. First of all, the prescription drug Part D--I want to help out my good friend from Missouri and my good friend from Rhode Island. I want them to know that the $400 billion that was spent has not been spent. Just for their information. And the Democratic alternative proposed by Representative Pete Stark on the Ways and Means Committee in the House of Representatives cost over $1 trillion to fund. That was the alternative to the Republican $400 billion. I know the Senator from Missouri was not here. She probably doesn't know Representative Stark. I served with him for 8 years on the Ways and Means Committee. The same thing goes. If you don't like Part D of Medicare, you have 59 Senators and you can repeal it anytime you want, or at least try to, if you think it is misspent money. Somebody complained about HHS negotiating drug prices. Our own scorekeeper, CBO, said we would have--I was on the committee--we would have no savings if they negotiated directly with the drug companies. Those profits that my good friend from Illinois talked about are not profits that go to the drug companies because any of the Medicare facilities we use, whether it be a hospital or a doctor or Medicare Part B or Part A or Part D--all of those moneys go to doctors, hospitals, and people who get prescription drugs to pay for those prescription drugs.”