On the recordMay 25, 2010
And I think the results here are driven by a number of things, choices, contrasts. The choice here was to put American families, American workers, small business, as a high priority. No more alignment with Big Oil, big banks, insurance companies, credit card companies. Let's drive a benefit, let's drive the focus for America's hardworking families across this country; 98 percent of Americans were part of that tax cut that was part of the Recovery and Reinvestment Act; 98 percent of Americans and small businesses, a tremendously strong statistic, a contrast to the behavior before, the decade before, which found two wars off-budget. Let the credit card cover that, I guess. Tax cuts for the highest income brackets, off-budget. A deal with the pharmaceutical company, Medicare part D, which suggests that Medicare paid for a part of the program, when we know seniors, oftentimes retirees, dug into their pocket to pay for pharmaceutical costs. So we come up with a health care reform measure to which Republicans said 'no.' Contrast again, Democrats say 'yes.' We make certain pharmaceutical costs are covered. We make certain that deductibles and copays are taken out of the picture for our Medicare-eligible population. There are huge contrasts here, siding with people who really make America's economy work. They invest their money on basic core needs. They work paycheck to paycheck and then invest in the community.
