Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, this is a bad rule. I thought we were going to get a rule and a bill before us that will let us deal with health insurance portability and preexisting conditions, that will let us deal with the problems that our constituents are facing of losing their jobs and losing their health benefits, and being unable to get health insurance without preexisting condition restrictions. Democrats and Republicans agreed to deal with that issue. Yet this rule makes it less likely we will get to that day. This rule does not permit any amendments to be offered. Many amendments were suggested in the Committee on Rules, that would help improve the bill that has been brought forward. Let me just mention a couple of the areas that troubled me. The bill preempts State laws in many, many ways. I thought we were supposed to be returning power to our States. This bill makes it very difficult for our States to respond to health insurance problems. In my own State, we have adopted small group market reform. Yet the provisions in the underlying bill would seriously jeopardize Maryland's ability to continue that small market reform. I had offered an amendment in the Committee on Rules for fraud and abuse.”