Pete Stark: “I'd like to point out that the last time I watched television, they told me that we still have troops in Afghanistan who…”

“I'd like to point out that the last time I watched television, they told me that we still have troops in Afghanistan who should be brought home. And we've not addressed the Medicare physician payment cuts, the payroll tax cut extension, unemployment insurance extension. Roads, bridges, and public transit systems are falling apart, and Congress hasn't brought forth legislation to invest in the infrastructure to repair those vital structures. And we continue to have an imbalanced Tax Code that lets Members of Congress get richer at the expense of working families, and we've done nothing to change that. Yet rather than tackle any serious problems, the Republicans are using the very little time that they permit Congress to be in session to debate repealing the law that the President has already made clear will not be implemented. In other words, we should repeal a law that isn't going to happen. Now, that's a vital use of our time. He's clearly stated, the President has, that the CLASS Act, as part of the Affordable Care Act, can't meet the tests put in the statute. Now, remember that Republicans probably would like to repeal all of ObamaCare, and I'm not sure exactly which part they want mostly to repeal. In other words, I assume that the 2.5 million youngsters who now get health insurance, the Republicans would like to kick them off the rolls and let them go to work or earn their own way to health insurance.…”