Political Quotes

“Mr. President, reserving the right to object, with the provisions that we are seeking to be extended, there are some of them that cost money. They all cost a little bit, but there are three items here that cost more than any of the others; that is, unemployment compensation, COBRA, and the SGR. If there were ever an emergency--ever--in this body, certainly it would be unemployment compensation and COBRA moneys. I came to the floor earlier this year--it could have been late last year; time flies--to try to get a permanent fix, as we call it, for the SGR for 10 years. That did not get enough votes. That is unfortunate. And this is really unfortunate. This SGR, the Medicare payments that will be allowed to doctors, is for more than doctors; it is for doctors who will take Medicare patients. Many doctors in America today will not take Medicare patients. If we do not get this extended, a lot more will not take Medicare patients. Our Medicaid programs throughout America are in deep trouble. I met Monday with 12 Governors. Everyone said they were in desperate shape for a lot of reasons, but one of the reasons is what has happened to Medicaid. Not only is it important to the doctors--and that is important--it is more important to the patients, and many programs to reimburse medical professionals--doctors--are based on what we have for Medicare reimbursement. If we do not get Medicare reimbursement, it is a cyclical thing that winds up tearing down the whole system.…”