Charles Norwood: “I do not believe I have ever heard more misrepresentations or mistruths or demagoguery on a subject in a long, long…”

“I do not believe I have ever heard more misrepresentations or mistruths or demagoguery on a subject in a long, long time. I could spend the night discounting some of the things, but some of the statements are just absolutely ludicrous, like people lining up over here saying that $320 billion going into prescription drugs is going to harm people. Who in the world thinks we are going to spend $320 billion of the taxpayers' money to harm somebody? There are statements saying in 1964, Republicans hated Medicare; they voted against it. That is not true. That is not true at all. Republicans, in fact, the majority voted for Medicare, and not all the Democrats voted for Medicare in 1965. It was a discussion worth having back then. But do not stand up here and say all Republicans hate Medicare. Those who continue to say that Republicans say Medicare is going to wither on the vine, I saw that speech. I have a copy of that speech. Newt Gingrich made the speech. He said that HCFA was going to wither on the vine, and that outdated organization needs to have some rework, because it is interfering with the care of patients, for pity's sakes.”