Ron Wyden

The biggest lesson from 1986 is that tax reform is possible when Democrats and Republicans set partisanship aside.

Turning the impossible into the possible.

When President Reagan signed the bill into law, he called it an 'historic overhaul of our tax code and a sweeping victory for fairness.'

The two of you have told an inspiring story this morning about bipartisanship on a major economic issue.

If you could just reduce the difference between the way income from capital and the income from wages are treated, that would be a huge reform.

To me, there are sort of three entrants in the discussion.

Let us work for that.

Our job is to put America's middle class on solid economic ground, lift wages, and make sure that everybody benefits when the economy grows.

There has to be a way to help the middle class who are hurting, like that auto worker, and get people out from under the bureaucratic water torture.

Those kind of efforts, particularly in terms of education, they are absolutely key to repairing this pretty tattered ladder of opportunity.

I have been working 10 years to get to this spot. You have been here for 3 weeks.

I am of the view that we grow the economy from the middle out, that you have to get the relief to a broad spectrum of middle-class Americans.

The fact is, too many middle-class Oregonians are hurting.

The job, however, is not done. Our budget must reflect a twofold commitment: first, to protect the progress that's already been made, and second, to clear the way for progress to continue in the future.

What's needed is a roadmap to efficient and effective care that moves away from fee-for-service.

Far too many people--including millions in Oregon and across the country--feel like they're falling behind as the economy picks up steam.

Thank you, Senator Isakson. Two questions, just very briefly.

The job is not done, and so there is a twofold challenge, in my view: first, protect the progress that has been made, and second, clear the way for more progress in the future.

America is not willing to go back to the days when health care was for the healthy and wealthy.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid, and a lot has taken place since those programs were created.

It is our job to make sure that does not happen, and the Finance Committee has played a big role in this.

I think for families to have confidence that, when a loved one gets sick, their treatment is going to be targeted and precise based on their genetic make-up, this is pretty important.

The challenge, of course, is you have this horribly fragmented delivery system.

Treating chronic disease, in my view, is the future of the Medicare program.

I just think arguing that because she will not talk about hypotheticals, speculate about a court case, means that she is handling this Congress with contempt, I just think is way off-base.