Kay Bailey Hutchison: “Mr. President, let me just say that I am a supporter of medical education. I have supported every amendment that has…”

“Mr. President, let me just say that I am a supporter of medical education. I have supported every amendment that has come through here, and I have sponsored amendments that add to the medical schools' part of Medicare funding. I want medical schools to be funded. But, Mr. President, this is not the way to do it. In fact, the University of Texas, which is a school that has one of the best medical schools in the whole United States, has said this is bogus, and they have refused to take the extra funds in this way not to train medical doctors. They are not in the business of not training medical doctors, and they have refused this money because this is the wrong way to go. Only in Washington would we address the issue of an oversupply of doctors by funding not teaching doctors. Some would say, if this were a debate to increase spending not to educate lawyers, maybe it would be worthwhile. But, in fact, we are not going to do anything so silly as to pay not to train doctors or lawyers or any other professionals in this country. This is not the way to address the issue of oversupply.”