Political Quotes

“since President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare into law over massive Republican resistance, Republicans have never ceased in their determination to end Medicare. We all remember the partner of the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas), former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who insisted that Medicare should be allowed ``to wither on the vine.'' He has been chattering again this month, that Medicare is an ``obsolete government monopoly.'' The gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas) joined him yesterday by declaring, ``To those who say that [the bill] would end Medicare as we know it, our answer is: We certainly hope so.'' ``Old fashioned Medicare isn't very good,'' he added. The gentleman may not like reporters, especially if they report, but really there is nothing new or inconsistent in this statement and many that he has made for years. He just referred a few moments ago to Medicare as ``yesterday's Medicare,'' denigrating and deriding it. ``Yesterday's Medicare,'' ``old fashioned Medicare'' has served millions of Americans pretty well. The one problem we have with it is not the result of a defective Medicare. Rather the failure to deal with the outrageous, predatory pricing of prescription drugs has resulted from the sustained collusion of House Republicans and pharmaceutical manufacturers. We can do something meaningful about that, but this bill is not it.”