Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I wanted to weigh in on a debate that took place on the floor a couple of hours ago--actually, when I was presiding in the chair--between the majority leader and the minority leader on what we are going to be doing here in the next couple of days on the Senate floor. So right now we are having a healthcare debate. We are finally having a healthcare debate. Many Members on both sides of the aisle--I say to the Presiding Officer, I saw your speech a few hours ago--are talking about the importance of healthcare for our country, the importance of, from our perspective, repealing, replacing, repairing a healthcare system that is not working. It is certainly not working the way in which it was promised to Americans. I will not repeat all the promises made by the former President and many Senators, but we know those haven't come to pass. As a matter of fact, a number of us--I certainly believe in my State, the State of Alaska, the so-called Affordable Care Act has done a lot more damage than good. Here are just a few statistics in Alaska: Premiums in the individual market went up over 200 percent since the enactment of the Affordable Care Act--200 percent. Alaskans in that market--individual Alaskans, for one health insurance plan for one individual, pay almost $1,100 a month in premiums for healthcare. That is not affordable. So we are debating it. It is important. There is an open amendment process.…”