Richard Gephardt: “Mr. Gingrich, I have said many times that what we have got to look at here are goals. There are certain things we have…”

“Mr. Gingrich, I have said many times that what we have got to look at here are goals. There are certain things we have got to try to get done. What we need to talk about more honestly, I think, with one another is how it is best to do that. How can we get certain things to actually be accomplished? Back in 1978 I agreed with Republicans and together we defeated Jimmy Carter's hospital cost containment. We said at the time that we ought to have competition. I led the effort with Republicans to defeat a Democratic President's plan because I thought it was not the right plan. What has happened in the last 15 years since we did that? Prices have skyrocketed, competition hasn't been fair and equal, we haven't been on a level playing field, and now we come back to these questions, and I'm willing to criticize a stand that I took 15 years ago. I think I made a mistake. I think we have got to look at ways to do these things, and all I ask you to do--how do we get prices down? How do we actually get people involved in health care?”