Political Quotes

“I want to address in morning business an issue, which will be the focus of debate in the Senate for the next 2 weeks. Many times our debates in this Chamber are about issues that a lot of people across America wonder what can this possibly mean to me, my family, or my future. This debate, believe me, will affect every single one of us. What we do--whether we pass a law or fail to pass a law--can have a direct impact on everyone witnessing this debate and virtually everyone living in this country. What could that issue possibly be? Health care. It is about whether or not our health insurance will be there when we need it. Yesterday in Springfield, IL, my hometown, I had a press conference. I invited three local doctors and two local nurses to talk about health care today. They came and told stories which were chilling, stories of their efforts to provide quality medical care to the people of my hometown and how time and again they ran into roadblocks, obstacles, and barriers from HMOs, and other health insurance companies, which tried to overrule medical decisions. A cardiologist who came forward said: I brought a person into my office who was complaining of pain, thinking he suffered a heart attack. I was prepared to provide emergency care and I did, only to learn that his health insurance company would not pay me because I did not happen to be in their network.”