Jim Ramstad: “It is amazing, Mr. Speaker, what we can do, the President and the Congress, when we work together in a bipartisan…”

“It is amazing, Mr. Speaker, what we can do, the President and the Congress, when we work together in a bipartisan, pragmatic way for this country. That is why we are here today on an historic threshold, and I rise in strong support of the legislation before us today, Mr. Speaker, which will balance the budget and expand health care choices for the seniors of our country while preserving and protecting Medicare. Not only do we save Medicare from bankruptcy but we build a strong foundation so that Medicare can be preserved for the next generation. We give seniors the increased health care coverage where they need it most, Mr. Speaker, before they become ill, by increasing the amount of preventive care covered by Medicare. There are a few specific reforms I would like to highlight. One is the reforms we make to the AAPCC reimbursement formula. That reform, very, very important to cost-effective States like Minnesota that have historically delivered health care in a cost effective way.”