Political Quotes

“I rise, as well, to talk tonight about the issue of healthcare. I thank my colleague from Connecticut for looking down the road to when, maybe, we can actually work together on this issue. We are in conflict this week, and that is not a place any of us want to be. We are in conflict because of the elements of this bill. I will make two basic points in my remarks tonight, one about Medicaid and then one point about another provision in the bill that I think is particularly insulting. A lot of our discussions start with policy and data, and that is important. That is obviously part of the debate about the bill and what is in it and what impact it will have on programs and people over a long period of time, but part of this debate, of course, is about the people we represent. I know the Presiding Officer understands this, and I am heartened that he is paying attention to our arguments because sometimes--I have done it myself--when you preside, sometimes you are doing something else. So we are grateful for his attention. I have talked on this floor a couple of times over the last couple of weeks--even months--and I will not repeat the stories because they have been told a number of times, but Rowan Simpson is a young man whom I recently just met. His mom had sent me a letter. Rowan is on the autism spectrum, and his mom is very worried about his future because of the potential impact on Medicaid and the benefits he is getting today from Medicaid.…”