Jay Rockefeller: “I say to my colleagues, I think the majority leader is exactly right, and I congratulate him, as well as Senator Roth…”

“I say to my colleagues, I think the majority leader is exactly right, and I congratulate him, as well as Senator Roth and his excellent staff, as well as Senators Chafee, Jeffords and many others who worked on it. As the majority leader has indicated, it has been a very laborious, long process in which things sort of just gradually, tectonically moved together, but very, very slowly. The point is that we can say now children are going to have good benefits, and that doesn't mean that they have to pick a particular plan. There is not a mandate in this that they have to pick this plan or that plan, but they will be able to get the kinds of benefits that we have as Senators, as Federal workers. I think, frankly, we have an obligation to make sure our children have plans. Preventive care, hospital care, doctor care, prescription, vision and hearing is in this. That is very important for early years, preventive care. So I think, frankly, it has been extremely complicated, it has taken a long time, but I think it is a good compromise, a good agreement, and I congratulate those who brought it together.”