Political Quotes

“over the last hour and a half, we have been talking about the issue of the Patients' Bill of Rights. It comes down to a question of should we allow the normal course of events in this body and in the House of Representatives to proceed--the conference report, which is our challenge. It is a challenge because we are taking a 250-page bill passed in the Senate and merging it with a 250-page bill passed in the House of Representatives on issues that will affect the quality of care of millions of people. Our challenge is to allow that process to continue. How much progress has been made? Clearly, from the other side of the aisle, an attempt has been made over the last hour and a half to say that progress is not being made, that there is a stalemate, that we won't see a bill. In 1 minute, let me review what has happened. On July 15, the Senate passed a bill. The amendment being proposed today is looking backward because that is the very bill we defeated last year on this floor for very good reasons, and it will be defeated again today. On October 6, the House of Representatives passed a Patients' Bill of Rights which included some very important access provisions. Conferees were named and we have addressed it as conferees, and we essentially have agreement on many of the issues we have talked about. That is progress. Access to emergency care: If you are injured, you can go to the closest emergency room.…”