Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. I applaud him for his superb leadership of this bill today. I recognize the great leadership of Mr. Van Hollen as the ranking member on the Budget Committee and he and Mr. Clyburn representing the values of the American people at the negotiating table for this. I rise in support of the Reid legislation and urge my colleagues to support it because it protects Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare, because it is fair. But I want to use my time in the following way. I listened very carefully and very attentively to our Speaker yesterday when he spoke, and he used the term the bill is not perfect, but we did ``our level best.'' ``Our level best.'' One might infer from that that this process is on the level. How can it be on the level if we're bringing a $2\1/2\ trillion bill to the floor under suspension the same way we might bring the naming of a post office? It's $2\1/2\ trillion, 20 minutes on each side. Members have said, on both sides of the aisle, this is a very important debate. Well, if it is, why is it brought under suspension, which requires a two-thirds vote, guaranteeing that it will not prevail? Not on the level. The word ``level,'' of course, enters into is this a level playing field? Is it on the level for America's seniors to pay more for Medicare for fewer benefits while we give tax subsidies to Big Oil?…”