Al Franken: “my understanding was that the Democratic leader wanted to come and speak for 5 minutes between Senator Stabenow and…”

“my understanding was that the Democratic leader wanted to come and speak for 5 minutes between Senator Stabenow and myself. But he is not here, so I am going to speak. Before I start my remarks that I have prepared, I want to say something specifically to the Presiding Officer because he is a new Senator from Indiana. I read a front-page article in the New York Times just a few weeks ago. It featured Indiana University Hospital and the health physicians there. It was an article about the savings and the delivery reform that have been driven by the Affordable Care Act, things that will be staying with us even if this is repealed, which I hope it isn't. But this is a quote I would like to read for the Presiding Officer from Dr. Gregory Kira, cochief of primary care, Indiana University Health Physicians. I would ask the Presiding Officer for his attention for a second. This is what it says: `` `I've been a registered Republican my whole life, but I support the Affordable Care Act,' said Dr. Gregory C. Kiray, co-chief of primary care for IU Health Physicians, `because it allows patients to be taken care of.' '' I admit, I didn't have 49 others for every State, but I had remembered reading this. On February 3, 2009, Tom Daschle, President Obama's nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, withdrew his nomination because he hadn't paid his taxes on his car service. On January 9, 2001, Linda Chavez, President George W.…”