Political Quotes

“late last week the Committee on Commerce passed the Gingrich Medicaid plan. There were no hearings on this bill similar to the restricted small number of hearings, one hearing in fact, on Medicare. There were no hearings on the Gingrich Medicaid plan. The plan was given to us, the actual legislative language, was given to us less than 24 hours before the hearing. There was no public input, because no one anywhere from the country really knew much about the plan, and members of the committee on both sides, Republicans and Democrats, had little opportunity to read the bill and to become familiar with the details of the Gingrich Medicaid plan. Unfortunately, though, Mr. Speaker, that Gingrich Medicaid plan cuts Medicaid money that goes for nursing homes for the middle class and all of our parents, many of our parents and grandparents. It is money for children in Health Hill Hospital in Cleveland, many poor kids, many middle-class kids, upper-class kids that have been injured in tragic accidents, with serious brain damage, whose families are saddled with $20,000 a month hospital bills. That is paid for with Medicaid. It is funding for poor children for prenatal care, for well baby care, for all the kinds of things that are important in our society. Nonetheless, that $180 billion cut in the Gingrich Medicaid plan is going to be used to pay for tax cuts for the rich.”