Political Quotes

“Look, the Senate bill, we wanted to be 100 percent sure that nobody would misstate its impact. So don't misstate it. That's the purpose of this. Instead, after you talk about veterans' health, you begin to talk about the reconciliation bill. Now we will debate that tomorrow, but we should not use any question about coverage for veterans as a reason to attack the reconciliation bill. I support it. I think it will have a major positive impact. You used all kinds of words about a different Nation, about rushing headlong. That has nothing to do with this bill. I think you are completely wrong about this being a different Nation. You raised it, so I will say a few words. What this is going to do is continue the path of this Nation, to make sure that health care can be afforded, to make sure that health care is spread to everybody. It is not a different Nation; it is continuing the best in our Nation. And so we are not rushing headlong. We have been talking about health care for a century in this country. I said at the Rules Committee, my first political experience as I remember it was as a kid passing out leaflets for the dad of John Dingell. His father had introduced a health care bill how many decades ago, and before him, others. Going back to Teddy Roosevelt, no huge radical. So now decades later we come to a moment when we can step up to the plate, and you call it a different Nation. No, I say it is in the best traditions of the United States of America.”