Mark Begich: “I am very honored and proud to be here with my colleagues to talk about this issue.”

That is actually an old model. That is a model that we are trying to get rid of.

Just assuming the private sector is going to absorb all this is not realistic.

We have a responsibility to protect the most vulnerable among us.

I want to make sure my colleagues hear exactly what you are saying, so a couple years from now, we do not hear complaints that, geez, why did you not do it?