Political Quotes

“I appreciate so much this passionate question from my colleague from New Hampshire. And there is no one here among 100 Senators who has spent more time working on issues of disability, bringing their own life understanding to bear to help millions of people across this country. When we expanded the folks eligible under standard Medicaid, it had a huge impact on the availability of healthcare for the disabled, and then there is the additional work we did to try to say: Healthcare is a right. It is a foundation. Let's build a system where everyone has access. But the way you have framed the difference between a democracy and an authoritarian power is powerful. Under a democracy, leaders are accountable to the people. And I am pretty sure that these 100 Senators all think about the fact that people elected them because they said they would lead on certain issues and carry the fight. They have a responsibility to follow through and make it happen, to honor that social contract they have with their voters. They are accountable to them. And if they are not accountable to them just in terms of the work they do here, they are going to be accountable in the next election. But the attitude of the President is very different. As you put it, in an authoritarian regime, it is more like the leader believes the people are accountable to the leader.”