Political Quotes

“Mr. President, there were 2 months of negotiations with the Vice President, and Majority Leader Cantor walked out. There were negotiations with the President and Speaker Boehner, and the Speaker walked out. House Republicans do not like Simpson-Bowles, nor do they like the Gang of 6 plan. These are the two big plans which offer a solution for the future. Instead, they want massive cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and discretionary spending and absolutely nothing from those Americans who are doing very well in this economy--actually, the top 1 percent. Well, I represent 37 million people. California is bigger than 21 States and the District of Columbia put together. Fifteen million to twenty million people in my State depend on programs the Republicans want to take a meat axe to--not a scalpel, but a meat axe--SSI, Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare. We have gotten these numbers. We have looked at them for overlapping, and I can truthfully say the number is 15 million to 20 million. Well, look, I want to know how a cut is going to affect these programs. We could do this if we agree to take 6 months, draft in bill language from the Gang of 6, mandate the hearings, and fast track a bill to the floor of the Senate. Every Member of this body knows it is bill language that spells out what we need to look out for. I need to look out for what happens to the Medicare provider tax because so many hospitals in my State depend on it.…”