Political Quotes

“Our committee can do great work when we work together. This is not one of our finest times--a new mandatory entitlement program at $7.2 billion. There is $130 million in the fund right now. The President asked for $150 million. This is, on average, $700 million a year. It is mandatory. We don't do this for our veterans, and we don't do this for our military. This is a mandatory program. What this is is politics. What this is is enfranchising a whole bunch of New York City hospitals which will get paid 140 percent of Medicare rates when we are cutting hospital rates in the new health care law under part A. We can do this, and we can do this in a better manner than what we are doing here. It is on the suspension calendar. Your leadership put it on the suspension calendar. Do you know why? Because they can't pass it under regular order. It is your leadership that put you in this position, not House Republicans, and I am embarrassed about this tonight.”