Political Quotes

“Madam Chjair, I rise today in opposition of H.R. 1173. This bill is yet another in a long list of efforts by the Republicans to dismantle and repeal the Affordable Care Act piece by piece. Despite the fact that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle sit in Committee hearing rooms and profess to support addressing our long term care crisis, one of their first pieces of legislation on the floor this session is a bill that will repeal one option to address this crisis. H.R. 1173 does nothing to protect the security of our country's retirees. Repealing the CLASS Act does not protect the 70 percent of today's 65 year olds who will need some sort of health or personal care in the future. Nor does repealing the CLASS Act do anything for the 40 percent of long term care users between the ages of 18-64. While I recognize that the CLASS Act is not fiscally feasible in its current form, I also recognize that a lack of a long term care initiative is not financially feasible for Americans. The average cost of a nursing home is currently a staggering $78,000 per year while in- home long term care averages $21,600 per year. We must continue to try and solve the problem of our nation's lack of adequate long term care options, and I call on my Republican friends to come to the table and work with us to do so.…”