Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I want all Members to pause for a moment and think about your family, think about your community, and the people you represent. I want you to put in your mind Alzheimer's and the effect that it has on the individuals and families. Now are you envisioning the effect of Alzheimer's, not only on the individual but on the family? I want you to put in your mind that terrible auto accident that left that young child totally disabled. I want you to put in your mind the diabetic, think about the diabetic, long-term diabetes, and the effect that it has. Now, the point of my amendment is not to kill this bill but rather to amend it in such a way that it can be taken up on the floor with all of us supporting this. Long-term care is a major challenge for families, for individuals, and for this Nation. Today 5.4 million Americans have Alzheimer's, and at the end of this decade, it's expected to double, more than 10 million. Keep that vision of the Alzheimer's patient in mind. It may be someone in your family or in your circle. Twenty-four million Americans have diabetes, 26 million have heart disease. Think of that stroke victim. You know that person. They've been our colleagues, disabled, and in many cases, totally disabled. What this amendment does is to deal with a profound problem in America. How do we care for those who are disabled, unable to care for themselves for a lengthy period of time? How do we do that?…”