Political Quotes

“last week we began debate on Senator Dodd's Wall Street reform legislation. This is the culmination of a lengthy dialogue on how best to rein in Wall Street's excesses, and bring about a new era of corporate responsibility. I have pushed, and will continue to push, for reform that preserves the role of the antitrust laws as a tool to keep Wall Street honest and promote competition in the financial industry. The recent economic crisis showed all of us that corporations do not act responsibly without adequate oversight. As we work to pass this landmark legislation, it is important to remember that, today, there is another industry that is not required to even play by the same rules of competition as everyone else. Benefiting from a six-decade-old special interest exemption, the health insurance industry is not subject to the Nation's antitrust laws. We can surely agree that health insurers should not be allowed to collude to fix prices and allocate markets. Large corporate interests impact the daily lives of hardworking Americans and must be regulated. When any large corporation acts irresponsibly, whether it is a financial institution or a health insurance company, Americans pay the price. Today I filed the Health Insurance Industry Antitrust Enforcement Act as an amendment to the Wall Street reform bill.”