Political Quotes

“I appreciate the leadership Senator Coburn has shown. We need to focus on the seriousness of the issue and all that is at stake--why it is important and how it can be done. It's not impossible to pay for this bill and provide these benefits without adding to the debt of the country by containing other spending. There is no reason we can't do this. I thought last night we had reached an agreement that would actually have achieved that, but we were not able to. Let me briefly restate the posture we are in. Senator Grassley offered an amendment a few days ago to extend unemployment insurance for 30 days. It also would include a doctors payment so they don't get cut for their Medicare work; COBRA benefits, FMAP benefits, and other things. He offered that measure, but our Democratic colleagues blocked it. Now, the amendment was paid for. He had an offset, which was I think mostly unspent stimulus money that still remains available to us to spend on this kind of activity. Then yesterday Senator McConnell reintroduced it. He sought to have the Grassley amendment come up for a vote that would have extended unemployment insurance and would have paid for it. That was voted down by our Democratic colleagues. What I first wish to say to my colleagues who have been so vigorous-- almost excessively so--in attacking the Republican side for not dealing with this issue is that we have offered two proposals to do so and they have been blocked.”