Speech

"I am proud to be here with the National Association of Public Hospitals as we stand ready to pass health care for all Americans."

"Answering our country's call, the WASPs demonstrated courage and patriotism and excellence and competence. Their bravery inspires and awes us; their success allowed the success of generations since and generations to come."

"We must have the courage, though, to get the job done. We have the ideas. We have the commitment. We have the dedication. We know the urgency. Now we have to have the courage to get the job done."

“Today, we are taking another step in creating jobs and laying the foundation for long-term growth and prosperity."

"We gather today to mourn a loss of a friend, a dear friend, and to celebrate the life of a person who is a great legislator, a courageous soldier, and a public servant to the end."

"As we sit around this table, I think we should be mindful of what they do when they sit around their kitchen table. What we do here must be relevant to their lives. And for them, they don't have time for us to start over. Many of them are at the end of the line with their insurance, with their caps, with their this and that."

"I think it's really clear on one point that the American people understand very clearly, they understand that there should be an end to discrimination on the basis of pre-existing conditions. The proposals we have put forth end discrimination on the basis of pre-existing conditions, the Republican bill does not."

“By passing legislation that increases leverage for the people by changing the playing field, a playing field that has been dominated by the insurance industry for over 65 years and now it's the people's turn. The health insurance companies will now be playing on the people's field."