Max Baucus: “As virtually every Senator knows, this is not the perfect bill. Each Senator would like to change it a little bit. This…”

“As virtually every Senator knows, this is not the perfect bill. Each Senator would like to change it a little bit. This Senator, in particular, would like to have had more money, frankly. We have $400 billion over 10 years. If we had a little more, maybe we could accommodate many of the provisions to which the Senator is referring. They are good ideas. But I think this legislation is a good first step, a chapter in a very long Medicare book. Chapter 1 was in 1965, when it was first enacted. There will be many more chapters as we work to improve Medicare, so that our senior citizens get the benefits they rightly deserve. I thank the Senator very much for his working with us. He has given us some great ideas. I think over time, in the next couple to 3 years, we will have another chance.”