Political Quotes

“earlier this month the three ranking members of the committees most concerned with health care reform wrote their counterparts, the chairmen of those committees, and asked that we in the spirit of bipartisanship handle the health care reform issue. I quote from the letter that they wrote: ``Let us work together to build on a solid base of bipartisanship.'' It is disturbing the reply they got from one of the subcommittee chairmen of one of those committees. I am going to read to you what he wrote. And when I use the term ``expletive deleted,'' it will refer to a term that refers to cow manure. He writes, ``Dear Bill: This is pure, unadulterated'' expletive deleted. ``You don't want health care reform, and you know it. Regards, Pete.'' Mr. Speaker, when there is an attempt to work on important national issues in a spirit of bipartisanship, we ought to expect the Democrats who control this House to be far more responsive than this letter indicates. This is the kind of thing that destroys the legislative process and destroys the ability to work together for the common good of this Nation. I am personally appalled by what took place in this instance, and I think we are owed an apology from the House leadership and particularly from the gentleman involved in this particular letter.”