On the recordDecember 21, 2010
I hope if there's enthusiasm for doing further work on this, that my colleagues will join me next year in doing the same thing with regard to pharmaceuticals. And I remind you that the committee has worked not in opposition to American industry, but rather the committee has worked with American industry, which supports the legislation. Would it be better if we were passing the House bill? Absolutely. Is it worse and weaker because we're passing the Senate bill? Of course. But having said that, you're making Americans safe in spite of the fact that the U.S. Senate has to take a ride with this legislation to, quite frankly, the weakening of this legislation. I want to commend my colleagues who have participated: Mr. Waxman, Mr. Pallone, Mr. Stupak, Ms. DeGette, and Ms. DeLauro. And I want to commend the staff: Katie Campbell, whose last day this is; Virgil Miller; Rachael Sher; Eric Flamm; and Emily Gibbons, who have made this possible.
