Jim McDermott actually said...

Fifty percent of the Medicare beneficiaries in this country have annual incomes at or below $22,500.

High earners pay more in payroll taxes, as Mr. McDermott pointed out, and income taxes throughout their work lives.

We are long overdue on fixing the physician payment system and I sincerely hope we can work in a bipartisan way to do it.

There was a time in the Congress when the procedure was that the President proposed and the Congress disposed.