Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I thank my friend and chairman of the Finance Committee, Senator Baucus. I congratulate him on his leadership on this issue for many months. I rise in strong support of the reconciliation bill that is before us. It is a historic time for our Nation. I am very glad that after decades of effort, national health reform has become law and that we are considering this set of changes to the law through this reconciliation bill. There is considerable confusion about what health reform, in fact, will accomplish. It is not surprising that there is confusion when one considers all of the nefarious charges that have been made and claims of nefarious provisions within the legislation. I am glad to see that most Americans, according to polling, believe the actual provisions that are described to them that are contained in the bill are meritorious and deserve support. Simply stated, the law has four main goals. It reforms health insurance markets to ensure Americans have access to affordable care that meets their needs. Second, the bill improves the efficiency and quality of health care and does it in a way that helps contain rapidly rising costs. Third, the bill improves access to primary care and preventive services. Fourth, the bill significantly reduces the Federal deficit over the coming decades. I think we need to focus on what the effect of the legislation will be on particular individuals and families in our States.…”