Pete Sessions: “And I thank the gentleman from Florida very much. In fact, the gentleman is correct. We had an opportunity to quote the…”

“And I thank the gentleman from Florida very much. In fact, the gentleman is correct. We had an opportunity to quote the Bible, Janis Joplin, and ZZ Top when we were doing our hearings. We had so much time with each other, and I enjoyed the hours and hours that we had to debate these essential items. But the other side of the story is essential health benefits are not being done away with. They are being transferred entirely to States. States have asked for the ability to manage their own money, and manage their own people's benefits of what would be required in the States. So in no way should a person take away, well, we just did away with it. In fact, we transferred the authority and the responsibility of essential health benefits to the States because Governors have been asking for this. Mr. Speaker, I want to take just a moment to explain what I believe is at the heart of the legislation and really, in reality, the key to fixing health care. It is the second part of this. We heard the gentleman from Lewisville, Texas, Dr. Burgess, speak about the Energy and Commerce portions. I now would like to take a minute to talk about the portions that come directly out of the Ways and Means Committee. The gentleman, Mr.…”