Charles Rangel: “I do not doubt the good intent that the gentleman has in providing some moneyless way, some way that we do not have any…”

“I do not doubt the good intent that the gentleman has in providing some moneyless way, some way that we do not have any financial obligation to pay for it, to give relief to the Medicare physicians. But I might suggest that you are opening up Pandora's box with hospitals, nursing homes, Medicaid. I do not know why you would just go to this, just because we have not been able to address the problems of the people that are waiting for help. All of these hospitals are calling Members all over wondering for what reason are we singling out Medicare physicians for what they might call special treatment. If Members are so sophisticated that they are going to say this is an entitlement that is completely in the hands of the administration and it is just a question of which numbers they are going to use, but we are now going to hold them harmless in case they make a mistake, then I really do not think that this is the way that we should go. I had hoped, and I do hope, that this is the end of the type of procedure that we have that the minority finds out what you are up to when the bill comes out. But maybe we can conclude by taking this off the calendar, seeing what can be worked out and start getting ready to start the new Congress on a different footing. I think some of these things could be adjusted. But it seems like this is a monkey wrench in the whole darn thing.”