Political Quotes

“I commend the leadership of Senator Mikulski in ensuring appropriate funding for the many critical activities under the auspices of the Commerce, Justice, and Science spending bill. I also commend my colleagues, Senators Whitehouse and Kennedy, for their leadership in the critically important arena of health information technology, IT. Without their diligent work, the promises of health IT to reduce costs and improve quality of care would be very distant indeed. Even with their dedication and that of many other colleagues, we have our work set out for us as we seek to accelerate the adoption of health IT. The Democratic steering committee heard yesterday from leaders on all aspects of health information technology--representing consumers, health care providers, business, insurers, labor, and others. All share an appreciation for what health IT can do to manage costs and ensure that patients get the care they need, at the right time, and in the best setting. Yet they also expressed a shared sense of the need for Federal leadership and legislation to remove barriers to the adoption of health IT. These barriers include a misalignment of incentives and inadequate funding, the lack of standards adoption, and privacy and security concerns. Some of these barriers are large and will take all of us working together to find solutions. I am committed to doing so and look forward to working with my colleagues this Congress toward that goal.”