Political Quotes

“Senator Kyl and the Senator from Kansas, as he has indicated, were engaged in this cost curve-bending plan. The essence of the President's proposal--it went to the core of other proposals financially--was that by a Federal Government expansion of our authority, we would bend the cost curve and make health care cheaper for all Americans. That was a fundamental principle that was sold to businesspeople, and some businesspeople thought it was a great idea, but it has not happened. Already the premiums in private health care in America have gone up $2,000, almost $200 a month, and we are going to see it continue to go up. It does not bend the cost curve down. In fact, we are seeing the opposite occur. We have to know that our per-person government debt--Senator Johnson is on the Budget Committee, and he knows this--is worse than any other Western world nation. Per capita, we have more debt than Greece, Spain, Italy, and Ireland, with $44,000 per person that every man, woman, and child owes. And if the President submitted a budget and if it were to be enacted--and certainly it will not be--that would go to $75,000 per person in 10 years. This health care bill is dramatically adding to that. Every expert we have had at the Budget Committee has told us that we are on an unsustainable spending and debt path that will lead to financial collapse.…”