Political Quotes

“We are engaged in what is called an historic debate over the issue of health care reform, and there are a couple of issues that need to be addressed. The area that I represent in northern Illinois, the biggest city is at 19.7 percent unemployment. Add 7 percentage points to that, it's nearly 27 percent unemployment. It's incredible. The State of Illinois is laying off teachers, social workers, people involved in all types of social services. Students at a nearby high school went out and picketed because they're concerned over the loss of their advanced placement classes. Yet, under the Senate bill, many more across the country would be added to the Medicaid roles. The State of Illinois, already bankrupt, billions of dollars in debt, would have to take on paying an additional $400 million a year in Federal mandates and unreimbursed increased Medicaid expenses. This doesn't make sense. On top of it, there's a 2/2 percent--we think that's the amount-- excise tax on medical equipment, medical devices, the very equipment that was used to save the life of my wife who came down with cancer 4 years ago: the titanium brace that replaces one of her vertebrae, the radiation machine, all the latest equipment. A tax on the very equipment that's used to help people get excellent health care in this country? We're not quite sure which equipment would be taxed or which would be free of tax, but once the tax starts--and we all know what happens with the tax.…”