Political Quotes

“Mr. President, the chairman of the Budget Committee has done an excellent job. While I appreciate the comments of my colleague from South Dakota, I actually think that in order to deal with the budget challenges facing the country, we have to look at both revenues and spending. One of the areas of spending that have been the most problematic has been health care costs. It has been one of the fastest growing costs for the Federal Government, and what we have to do is look at how we can lower the health care costs. The amendment I proposed that we are going to vote on this morning, amendment No. 438, is one that actually reduces health care costs. In the 3 years since the Affordable Care Act was passed, women's access to affordable health care has improved. Women now have access to a wide range of preventive services, such as well-women appointments, screenings for cancer, diabetes, HIV, and counseling for domestic violence. All women now have access to contraceptive coverage for free through their insurance plans. Ninety-nine percent of women report that they have used birth control at some point in their lives, and access to birth control is directly linked to the decline in maternal and infant mortality. I think that is a really important message we need to get across to people. There is a direct connection between access to birth control and maternal and infant mortality. Access to birth control can also reduce the risk of ovarian cancer.…”