Political Quotes

“I come to the floor, as I have week after week since we passed the health care law, giving a doctor's second opinion of the law. I come today because last month President Obama delivered a very big speech on spending. Unfortunately, it seemed to be more of a political attack than a substantive speech offering a detailed plan to attack the American debt crisis. The President did, however, mention one bit of substance that really should raise a red flag to the American people. He said: We will slow the growth of Medicare costs by strengthening an independent commission. Well, the Washington commission he is referring to is called the Independent Payment Advisory Board. This board may sound harmless, but let me assure you that the American people deserve to know and have a right to know more detail about the board and its work. Many Americans may not remember that the health care law created this unelected, unaccountable board of Washington full-time bureaucrats. The sole purpose of the board is to cut Medicare spending based on arbitrary budget targets--not based on the number of people on Medicare or the number of seniors but based on arbitrary budget targets. These are cuts above and beyond the $500 billion already taken from a nearly bankrupt Medicare Program during the health care law--taken from our seniors--not to save Medicare but to start a whole new government program.…”