Political Quotes

“I want to speak briefly to one thing that I believe in the bill is a good deal. There are positive things. I don't think it is all a negative bill. I think there are positive things in it. I know there are people who have worked hard, including our occupant of the chair, who led efforts to work in a bipartisan way and tried hard to get the right thing done. On balance, there is no way I can support this bill, but there are some good provisions in it. I believe there are provisions in this bill that, right now, we could pass overwhelmingly, on a bipartisan basis, if we were to pull them out, take away all the bad provisions, and start over on prescription drugs. I would simply say that to have no bill is better than to have a bad bill. Let's go back to work and get it right for our seniors. Absolutely, they have waited too long. They have waited so long to get this, and they are saying, I waited so long and this is what I got? So let's go back to the drawing board. We can do it quickly if we want to and get it right--lower prices, real prescription drug coverage. But there is one section I believe we have a tremendous sense of urgency on right now. I know that my distinguished colleague in the chair has been a leader in this effort, and that is our rural providers and what happened with our hospitals, home health agencies, and doctors, and the cuts they have had to take.”