Frank Pallone: “I was very upset to hear the gentleman from California because I thought, for once--and it's very rare around here--as I…”

“I was very upset to hear the gentleman from California because I thought, for once--and it's very rare around here--as I heard the gentleman from Oregon suggest that he was supporting this bill, that we finally had some bipartisan support and some Republican support for the SGR doctors' fix; but now I listen to the gentleman from California, and he starts suggesting that somehow the Democrats are to blame. Well, let me suggest that the opposite is true. Back in November of 2009, about a year ago, the Democrats in this House passed a permanent fix. We wouldn't be here today if that legislation had been supported by the Republicans. To his credit, only one Republican--Dr. Burgess, who is a member of my Health Subcommittee--did, in fact, support it, but he was the only one. It is the Republicans' fault that we are constantly dealing with these short-term fixes, because they don't want to take care of the doctors.”