David Thomas: “Mr. Speaker, as we carry on what I guess passes for normal debate around here, I think we probably ought to pause for…”

“Mr. Speaker, as we carry on what I guess passes for normal debate around here, I think we probably ought to pause for just a moment and not let our partisan juices flow quite as freely as they do sometimes, because quite frankly, the Medicare provision in this bill is remarkable. It is remarkable for a number of reasons, but I think primarily because it sets a standard for what I believe ought to be the way in which we work public policy. The Medicare Program is as important as any policy that the Federal Government has. It is more important than cheap partisan shots. Trying to resolve one of the more difficult problems that faces all of us and, more importantly, the seniors in this country is important. I think we have all come to the general agreement that people will consume as much health care as other people are willing to pay for. If in fact that is true, and I think we believe it is, our Medicare Program is clearly in trouble. Bankruptcy was facing it: With an antiquated and out-of-date delivery system, especially with the rapid changes that are occurring in the private sector health care delivery system and the fact that some of the programs that we offer are as old as the bureaucracy that structured it; that is, we wait until people are sick before we deal with the problem instead of moving aggressively into preventive care and wellness.”