On the recordDecember 13, 2012
Let me just say one area in which I disagree a bit with you. Most Americans support these programs. I'm talking about huge percentages of Americans--Republicans, Democrats, Independents--who say, no, we don't think that Medicare, Social Security, Medicaid ought to be cut. We don't think so. So I think, in terms of the role of government, most Americans see that it's important that when it comes to education, when it comes to infrastructure, when it comes to public safety, when it comes to health care, government cannot do it all. Americans aren't saying, just take care of me. From cradle to grave, I want you to take care of me. No. Americans are willing to work hard and play by the rules, but they see an important role for government. If we cut government too much, in some ways, we kill the goose that laid the golden egg. Here is what I mean: It is true that the Internet really did come from research that was done by government. Look at the billions and billions--I don't know-- maybe trillions of dollars, and then look at the advance of the Internet and everything that led from that--bio research, talking about curing diseases. Then, of course, the money that comes from that for the pharmaceutical industry, et cetera, mostly comes from the National Institutes of Health, the Cancer Institute, et cetera, in coming up with the cures and the medications. That's government research. I mean, look at NASA and the space research.…
