Political Quotes

“One of the most difficult and challenging situations any family faces is dealing with circumstances surrounding the end of life. Earlier this week, NPR ran a fascinating story on a little-known fact that physicians die differently than the rest of us. They are more comfortable. They are more likely to spend their final days surrounded by loved ones. They seldom die in an ICU or even in a hospital setting. That is because doctors understand what works and what doesn't. Doctors are very clear about their wishes, and they choose quality of life and concern for their families as well as their own well-being. I have been working in this area of end of life care for more than 6 years. The Ways and Means committee unanimously approved my legislation as part of the Affordable Care Act to provide greater support for families with that decisionmaking process. It did pass the committee unanimously as part of the Affordable Care Act, even despite the furor of the 2009 lie of the year about death panels, on the strength of some of the most compelling testimony that was delivered not by expert witnesses, but by Members of the committee. One of our Republican Members discussed how his mother didn't get the care that she needed at the end of her life. Another physician Member of the committee explained how he had these conversations repeatedly, but unfortunately they were often much later than they should have been. There wasn't adequate time for the family to prepare.…”