Political Quotes

“This legislation is designed to provide health care services for the heroes of 9/11, the policemen and the firemen who didn't know what would be in store for them when they went into the World Trade Center. Many of them are suffering from the health consequences of their activities, and we have an obligation to provide the services that they need. What does this motion to recommit do? It would, first of all, reduce payments to health care providers, making it harder for those people to get access to hospitals to treat them. But the worst thing about this motion to recommit is that it strikes a pay-for that's been passed three times already in the House, and it eliminates areas of the health care reform law that are designed to save money and to prevent costly health problems. There are 248 organizations that have signed a letter opposing these kinds of cuts. This same kind of proposal was offered in the Senate and rejected very soundly. These are groups that are concerned that we have a health system that is there to protect the public health. Can you imagine the irony that the public health measures we're trying to put in place so that we can deal with chronic disease would be struck? They would wipe that out in order to pay for this bill. That is not the way to pay for this legislation.”