Ben Cardin actually said...

"the most important stakeholders, as Chairman Baucus has pointed out, are taxpayers in this country and the families that depend upon the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, Medicaid, ..."

"I do not think we intended that families would not have coverage."

"It is very difficult for them to travel; many of them do not have automobiles."

"We both thought that starting with the Rebalanced to Asia policy was the right way for the subcommittee to get the background we need in order to carry out the very important work of the subcommittee."