Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I thank my colleague from Iowa for his very nice remarks about Katie Beckett. I come to the floor for the same reason--to celebrate the life of Katie Beckett. Never has the word ``inspiration'' been used more appropriately in describing somebody, and today I am grateful to be able to recognize the inspirational life of Katie Beckett. Mary Katherine Beckett--nicknamed ``Katie''--was born in Cedar Rapids, IA, on March 9, 1978. Five months after she was born, Katie contracted viral encephalitis, followed by grand mal seizures. The encephalitis caused damage to her central nervous system, her respiratory system, and she was attached to a ventilator. She would be almost 2 years old before she could breathe on her own. As Senator Harkin said, under Medicaid law at the time, Katie could only receive care through Medicaid if she remained in the hospital even though she was able to receive the care at home. Iowa Congressman Tom Tauke heard of Katie's situation and realized that it made no sense to keep a child in the hospital who could be at home with her family living a better quality of life as well as saving the taxpayers money. Congressman Tauke worked to convince the administration that the system should be changed to allow States to provide Medicaid to children receiving care in their homes. Ultimately, President Reagan took up Katie's cause, intervening so that Katie could receive treatment at home and still be covered under Medicaid.…”