Political Quotes

“I urge my colleagues to vote no. In the committee, Senator Stabenow heard several different versions of this amendment. None of them passed muster with the Parliamentarian. I credit the Senator's instincts to approach the question of Medicare seriously. I am sure she knows we all take Medicare seriously. Why does the budget resolution have the numbers that it has? Because the Republicans and the President agree that we have to act on policies which extend the life of the Medicare trust fund. The budget does this by adopting the President's goal of extending the life of Medicare's hospital insurance, HI trust fund, by at least 5 years. While Republicans and the President share the goals of a financially stronger Medicare Program, the Republican budget empowers the Senate Finance Committee, the committee of jurisdiction, to determine how best to extend the life of the trust fund and solve the program's grave financial challenges. Many people have concerns about what the administration has proposed with this new Medicare policy. I do, too, and expect that the Finance Committee, working on a bipartisan basis and in cooperation with the House, can craft a solid, successful legislation to save Medicare from insolvency. I ask for a ``no'' vote. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the Stabenow amendment.”