Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I was pleased on August 28 to cosponsor a statewide hearing on the impact of the Balanced Budget Act on hospitals in the State of Illinois. And they came from all over the State: from down state, central Illinois, from Chicago, the northern part of the State, the University of Illinois Hospital, Rush Presbyterian, St. Lukes Medical Center, Cook County Hospital, Northwestern University Hospital, Bethany Hospital, the Illinois Home Health Association, the Illinois Nursing Home Association, Community Health Centers, the University of Chicago, Home Health Agencies, the National Hospice Association. All of them saying essentially the same thing and that is, while they recognize and appreciate the fact that we need to reduce waste and fraud and abuse in the Medicare program, in all of our health programs, in the Medicaid program, the one thing that they also understood is that we have gone too far with the Balanced Budget Act and we have actually cut services in institutions that we cannot afford to cut. We have thrown out in many instances the baby with the bath water. And so I join with the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus) and others in calling for another look at the impact of the Balanced Budget Act. We must find a way to save these institutions which are teetering.”