Max Baucus: “I rise today, as I often do, with a quote. It comes from a conservative leader speaking out about a new health care law.…”

“I rise today, as I often do, with a quote. It comes from a conservative leader speaking out about a new health care law. He said: We are against forcing all citizens, regardless of need, into a compulsory government program. He went on to call the pending legislation ``socialism.'' He went on, saying: Our natural, unalienable rights are now considered to be a dispensation of government, and freedom has never been so fragile, so close to slipping from our grasps as it is at this moment. Those are frightening words. When were they spoken? Not spoken in 2010 or 2011. Not spoken in 2012 or 2013. Rather, these words were spoken in 1964. And who do you suppose spoke them? Ronald Reagan. President Reagan was speaking out against Medicare, which became law the following year. Now fast forward 20 years and things were quite different. President Reagan said in 1984: Millions of Americans depend on the Medicare program to help meet their health care costs. We must ensure the long- term solvency of the Medicare program, and I'm confident we can find the right solutions in a bipartisan manner. What do you suppose happened in that 20-year period to change President Reagan's mind? The hysterics ended, people gave the new program room to breathe, and it worked. Medicare gave America's seniors access to health care they had never had before. The same pattern emerges when we look farther back into history. Consider Social Security.…”