Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I wish to add to the comments of Senator Murphy in opposition to that amendment. I wish to also to point out that one of the previous speakers bemoaned the number of hospitals that have closed in his State over the last 10 years. I bemoan them too. I also know that more of those hospitals would have closed if the Affordable Care Act hadn't passed. More of those hospitals would have closed if, in States like mine, the Governor didn't expand Medicaid. We know that in States where rural hospitals have closed-- particularly if there was a Republican Governor--the hospital association and many, many, many health care providers of all kinds, including nurses, physical therapists, and others, asked the Governor of that State to expand Medicaid so these hospitals could stay in business and keep serving rural people. This issue is not just about the rural poor people in South Carolina, but rural middle-class people who had insurance and were paying, but those hospitals couldn't stay open because they didn't have the revenues coming in. If Governors from those States had actually expanded Medicaid--as was the intent of the Affordable Care Act--instead of scoring political points, many of those hospitals would not have had to close. I thank Senator Murphy for his efforts. Mr. President, I come to the floor to talk about an amendment that I will not offer at this time but will probably offer later today about Medicaid--again, to help perfect the Affordable Care Act.…”