Political Quotes

“Like my colleague from Georgia, I too was sitting back in my office. I saw the debate break out on the floor of the House on the Medicare proposal, the proposal to rescue Medicare from certain bankruptcy. And I wondered, because I sit on the Rules Committee, and the Rules Committee has one of the great pleasures of deciding what comes to the floor, how it comes to the floor and what goes on, and I knew that this wasn't Medicare reform day. This was the amendment by my colleague from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) to protect life. It was an amendment to a bill brought to the floor by my colleague, Mr. Guthrie, which restores congressional oversight and regular order through the appropriations process, those things that I ran for Congress to do. And I rise in strong support both of the Foxx amendment and of Mr. Guthrie's underlying bill. But when I heard this talk about Medicare and all the games and what has happened in the past, I have to say, I have only been here--this is, what, month number 5 for me. I'm still brand new, and I'm still optimistic enough to believe that it doesn't have to all be about sound bites, that it really can be about solutions. And I want to say to my colleagues on the Democratic side of the aisle, when you say that you came up with a proposal in the President's health care bill last year to deal with Medicare, I believe you. I take you at your word. I read through that, too.…”