Political Quotes

“I always find these debates about attorney's fees fascinating. I find my friends on both sides of the aisle who usually are seeking to restrict attorney's fees are the most big-time free enterprise guys in the world. They are people who tell us we should not freeze and/or put limitations on the amount of money energy companies can make, even though it bears no relationship to cost. They are folks who told us out in California--when you have utility companies gouging the public--that we should not, even though we have authority under Federal law, put on some limitations. They are folks who tell us that, notwithstanding the fact that a drug company may be able to manufacture a pill for one-quarter of 1 cent and sell it for $75, there should not be any relationship between the amount of cost involved and the profit made. I find it absolutely fascinating. For example--I am not going to do it--a great amendment to the amendment by my friend from Virginia would be the following: That any fee charged by an HMO for health care coverage must bear direct relationship to their cost and cannot exceed a profit rate of X amount. That would be fair, right? All these folks who can't afford health insurance, who are getting banged around and battered, we are trying to help, but I imagine I would not get many votes for that. I bet my friend from Virginia would not vote for that because that is free enterprise. My grandfather Finnegan used to have an expression.…”