Ron Wyden: “I think Senator Baucus, Senator Rockefeller, Senator Grassley, and Senator Hatch--through the hours and hours of effort…”

“I think Senator Baucus, Senator Rockefeller, Senator Grassley, and Senator Hatch--through the hours and hours of effort they have put into making the children's health proposal ready for floor action--have done a great service. They have done a great service, first and foremost, to the country's kids. It seems to me every single Member of the Senate can say today we cannot afford, in a country as good and strong and rich as ours, to have so many kids go to bed at night without decent health care. As a result of the bipartisan work of four Members of the Senate--two Democrats and two Republicans--we have laid the foundation to take steps immediately to help youngsters who are falling between the cracks. I have long felt the challenge with respect to health care today is twofold. First, you act immediately to help those who are the most vulnerable in our society. That is, in fact, what four members of the Senate Finance Committee have helped the Senate to promote today. Second, we ought to be taking steps on a broader basis to fix health care in our country.”