Political Quotes

“Senator Blunt, I couldn't agree with you more. I don't know about you, but when we first started and knew this was going to be a step-by-step process, we weren't able to go nationwide. We had to prove the concept would work with, really, providing comprehensive services, not just what is done in most States, like in Michigan, where there was Medicaid funding for people who were seriously mentally ill, but if you weren't seriously mentally ill, there was no support for anybody else. So doing a concept like federally qualified health centers, which I have been so proud to be your partner on--where you say, ``OK. If you meet high standards, we will fully fund your capacity then to provide services if you meet high standards''--is what the whole point is. After only 2 years of doing that with the eight States' demonstration project, I was really blown away, and I think you were, too, in that, after only 2 years, the kind of results that they were able to get were so meaningful. HHS--by the way, both Democratic and Republican Presidents have embraced this and supported this, which has been wonderful. But, after only 2 years, they found 63 percent fewer emergency room visits. I remember being in one of the press conferences we did with a police chief from Oklahoma, who was talking about how it was so difficult if they had someone who needed care.…”