Political Quotes

On the recordJanuary 20, 2011
As I am sitting here listening to this, I am thinking this must be something like Alice in Wonderland. This is the most bizarre debate I have heard in a long, long time. We need jobs. We need to be focusing on the American economy. This particular resolution has no sense of reality. I have heard debates here and discussions on the floor about association health plans. I know about association health plans. I was the insurance commissioner for 8 years in California, having to deal with these non-insurance programs that left hundreds, indeed thousands of people, holding the bag when the association health plans went belly up. It doesn't make any sense. California has had tort reform for 30 years. We have in the law today in America a protection for every individual in America from the onerous hands of the insurance companies that have continued over the years to deny benefits, to make the doctor decisions, and to literally put people's lives at risk--it's called the Patients' Bill of Rights, and our Republican colleagues want to repeal that. We have a law that is in place. It should be implemented.
Said by
John Garamendi
Democratic · California

Editor's note · Context

Garamendi criticizes a resolution and discusses the importance of health care protections and job creation.

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