Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise to support H.R. 2, the repeal of last year's so-called health bill. The American people, quite frankly, have never liked this bill, as they demonstrated last November. You can't find a poll where it cracked 50 percent in approval. And those wanting to repeal it have generally always been above that mark. The bill itself may be unconstitutional. Over 20 States are now challenging it in Federal court. It is certainly likely to be unworkable. The creation of dozens of boards, agencies, and commissions with rulemaking authority, the fact that hundreds of companies have already asked for waivers under the legislation, suggest it is going to be a bureaucratic nightmare. {time} 1530 Finally and most importantly, the bill itself is fiscally irresponsible and unsustainable. The idea that we would take hundreds of billions of dollars out of Medicaid and Social Security and Medicare at a time when the baby boomer generation is beginning to retire is simply irresponsible. I am all for saving money in Medicare, but when we do, those savings are going to be needed to sustain Medicare. So I urge this House to take the fiscally responsible course--repeal this bill and start over, and give the American people the health care bill they deserve and the health care bill they can afford.”