Political Quotes

“Mr. President, my Republican colleagues have reached the conclusion that this is not a perfect bill. Well, they are right. While my problems with this bill are very different than theirs, I do hope that in the weeks and months to come, after we pass this reconciliation package, we will improve it. But I would ask my Republican colleagues to tell me something: When they controlled the White House and they controlled the Senate and they controlled the House, when President Bush was our President--during that period--7 million more Americans lost their health insurance and health care costs soared. Where were they then in talking about health care? Did they have one substantive idea during that period about how we were going to lower the cost of health care for Americans and provide health insurance for all of our people? I do hope that after we pass reconciliation we are going to improve this bill. In that regard I want to thank Majority Leader Reid who has promised us--Senator Merkley, myself and others--that we will have the chance to vote on a public option provision. I think millions of Americans understand that public option is a choice that people should have--the right to go outside of the private insurance companies for their health insurance. That public option will provide competitive pressure on the insurance industry to control soaring health care costs.”