Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, at this time, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from the State of Colorado (Ms. DeGette). Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, every year, sometimes more than once a year, since 2003 Congress has had to step in to prevent a cut in physician payments. With input from a wide variety of stakeholders, we have tried to work together for many, many years on a solution to the flawed system to the sustainable growth rate formula. Until this year, we were out of luck, and the price tag for fixing the formula was ever increasing. The underlying legislation that we consider today was 11 years in the making. I am very proud to cosponsor this bill because it is a compromise solution for the formula we agreed on. But sadly--sadly--the majority has prescribed a bitter pill to swallow for passage of this important bill for patients and doctors. Instead of coming to the negotiating table to discuss mutually acceptable ways to pay for this bill, the majority has decided to pay for it by delaying important provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Everybody knows that this provision is a nonstarter. It is a nonstarter in the other body and in my Caucus right here in the House. Because of this shortsighted tactic, the Republicans have almost guaranteed that we are going to need yet another short-term SGR patch before the current one expires on March 31. This is bad for the doctors of America. This is bad for the patients of America. Let's get real.…”