Political Quotes

“Madam President, before he leaves the floor, I just want to thank the chairman of the Finance Committee. I think the chairman said: Well, the ranking member might agree with some of my comments. I agree with every one of the chairman's comments. I think, Madam President, how I would begin--and I think the Chairman would agree on this--we can have some pretty spirited debates about healthcare in this Chamber and in the Finance Committee, but, as the chairman indicated, there isn't an inch of difference with respect to our views on Robert Pear. We all thought he was a true professional, and he was the gold standard of journalism as it relates to healthcare. I thought about yesterday, Chairman Grassley, because we had a hearing on a topic relating to reimbursement of physicians. I think the chairman and I would be of like mind--it probably wouldn't be inherently fascinating in every coffee shop in Iowa and Oregon, but it is incredibly important, for example, for the survival of rural hospitals and so many concerns that I know the Presiding Officer of the Senate has and the distinguished chairman of the Finance Committee has. I looked over at the press table, Chairman Grassley, and the seat for Robert Pear was missing. Robert Pear--and that was what this special man was all about--never jumped to sit in front and say: Well, I am from the New York Times, so I should count more. As the chairman remembers, he always sat in the back. I thought we missed him so much yesterday.…”