David Obey: “What do all of those names have in common? They are the people who really put together this bill. Every Member of the…”

“What do all of those names have in common? They are the people who really put together this bill. Every Member of the House will have an opportunity to vote on this bill, and I think we can do that proudly, because I think it is a good bill. But the people who worked just as hard and, in fact, probably harder and the people who worked out many of the compromises that were needed to produce a bill which is truly a bipartisan bill were the people whom I just named. I want to express my appreciation to each and every one of them, because without them, we would not be able to deliver what we are delivering to the American people here today. In my view, Mr. Chairman, this bill ought to be named the Family Opportunity and Health Security Act of 2001, because this bill, more than any other bill that we deal with, provides opportunity for average working families to share in the goodness that this society provides.”