Political Quotes

“Madam President, the minority leader, Senator McConnell, has addressed two issues: the entitlement programs as well as rules changes. I would defer to my colleagues from New Mexico and Oregon to address the rules changes. I would like to briefly respond to Senator McConnell on entitlements. There is no question that as a Senate and House of Representatives we should address the longevity and solvency of Social Security and Medicare. It should be part of our conversation about the deficit facing this country and the debt of our Nation. But the way we approach it, the changes we make, are significant. It should be looked at carefully. On the issue of Social Security, I might remind those following this debate that the answer from the Republican side for years has been to privatize Social Security; to get government out of the business of retirement and let individuals take their life savings in Social Security and invest them. That debate disappeared when we had a recession recently--in the last 7 or 8 years--and people saw their life savings evaporate, melt away, as a result of downturns in the stock market. They started envisioning what would have happened had they retired at that moment in time with their Social Security savings. So the Republican answer of privatization of Social Security is a nonstarter and never mentioned in polite company in these times because it is not a credible position.…”