Dan Quayle: “I rise today in support of H.R. 2. Last year, behind closed doors and against the will of the American people, the…”

“I rise today in support of H.R. 2. Last year, behind closed doors and against the will of the American people, the Democratic majority of the 111th Congress passed a bill that fundamentally changes the doctor-patient relationship. They passed a bill that will increase the cost of health care and explode our national debt. They passed a bill that expands the scope of government well beyond the parameters set forth in the Constitution. The genius of our Constitution is that this document didn't set forth what the government must do for us, but rather what the government can't do to us. Requiring every individual to enter into a commercial contract certainly falls within the realm of what the government can't do to us. The people in my district understand this, just as they understand that our health care system needs sensible, patient-centered reforms that will reduce costs and increase access. Unfortunately, the health care bill that was passed will increase costs and increase our national debt. Yes, those who drafted the bill tried to conceal the true costs from the American people. But if you look beyond the accounting gimmicks, that bill increases our debt by $701 billion over the next 10 years. It is time to get our country back on the right track, and H.R. 2 is a necessary step to fulfilling that mission.”