There is such a large amount of money there in the Federal tax rules that you do free up a substantial amount for expanding coverage.

What are the implications for small businesses? Because it seems to me absent the kind of cost containment reforms I would like to see, you set up a new entitlement program, small businesses get more taxes?

Market economics has always been about chicken-and-egg. You make investment decisions, and if they are the right ones, promising things happen.

We ran the numbers, Dr. Elmendorf, with the CBO figures. You all indicated that we are going to spend $2.5 trillion this year on health care.

I think the President of the United States is trying to send the right message.

It is important to be cautious about the idea of going out in this health reform debate and spending vast sums of new money right out of the gate.

I was thrilled that Chairman Baucus, who has done very good work on this health reform issue, has also put out in his White Paper, a very constructive document on health reform.

Nothing is more important, Mr. Secretary, to getting our economy back on track than gaining public confidence.

Few developments have done more to harm public confidence in what is happening here in Washington than the news in the last few weeks of the financial institutions receiving Federal bailout funds paying out $18 billion in bonuses.

The previous administration just pushed the Forest Service constantly, almost to the brink of bankruptcy.

I just say respectfully I hope that you and your colleagues who are the best in the business will come up with more aggressive, more immediate approaches.

It is absolutely key that it be changed because it rewards inefficiency and is regressive in nature.

We have to put some changes in place and get out this issue.

In your view, does the Government have adequate legal authority to prevent future AIGs?

The President, to his credit, called these bonuses 'shameful'.

For the life of me, I cannot understand why the American people do not have a right to know who the counterparties are.

You know, these tax rules look like they go mostly to the well-off and we are interested in trying to come up with a way that will give you working-class people a tax break and help us to hold down costs.

You all gave $700 billion--first installment $350 billion, perhaps the vote tonight on $350 million more--to these financial institutions.

Democrats have fought--and, in my view, correctly so--to get everybody covered. It is the moral thing to do, and it is also the economic thing to do.

How would you feel about having your health care taxed? about 107 percent say, 'No way,' usually accompanied by some pretty choice curse words before the words 'No way.'

I think as you get into this, there are really kind of three parts to this.

I think we all understand the Tax Code is going to melt down next year.

I mean, certainly if you are well off, there ought to be some copays.

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