Political Quotes

“I oppose this rule, because the Committee on Rules had an opportunity to rectify an injustice. By choosing not to rectify it, it perpetuated it. The gentleman who just spoke said that those who defend our country are entitled to the respect that they deserve. But what about after they have served our country? Mr. Speaker, the Pentagon, the Department of Defense is the only large organization in America that once its employees reach the age of 65, they become ineligible for that employer's health care. They become ineligible for CHAMPUS, they become ineligible for TRICARE, and they are told that the only thing they can do is go to a military treatment facility and wait at the end of the line until everyone else has been served, and only if there is no one else waiting for health care can they then be served. It is wrong. It is unfair. We have a solution to it. The chairman of the Committee on Rules is a sponsor of my legislation that allows Medicare military retirees to join the FEHBP. I thought he understood the situation. Apparently he does not understand the situation because if he did, he would want to rectify it, I am sure. But the Committee on Rules, in reporting out this rule, chose not to address it in the way that makes the most sense, which is to make military retirees eligible for the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan. There is no other way that military retirees can get decent, affordable, accessible health care.”