Senate Proceeding 07-28-09 on Jul 28th, 2009 :: 1:34:15 to 1:41:05
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1:34:12 to 1:34:32( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Bennett: or me because we would be happy to discuss it with the mr. president, with that, i would yield the floor. mr. bennett: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from utah. mr. bennett: mr. president, i know we're on the bill, and as the manager on the republican side, i want to stay on the bill. but my colleague from oregon, having raised the issue w respect to the consumer choice and our proposal, i ask

1:34:15 to 1:41:05( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Robert Bennett

1:34:33 to 1:34:53( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Bennett: unanimous proceed as if in morning business in order to respond. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. bennett: mr. president, i'm grateful to senator wyden for the leadership he showed here and the has pursued all of these issues. and as i have sat here and listened to the

1:34:54 to 1:35:17( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Bennett: interventions on morning business about health care, i found a common theme that i want to comment on with respect it. and i think senator wyden's comments help me frame theme. the theme that i have heard over and over again from speakers has

1:35:18 to 1:35:38( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Bennett: been, are." and then the argument has been framed: "we either have to move ahead with the president's progm or stay where we are." as senator wyden has indicated, there are other alternatives besides moving ahead with the president's program and staying where we are. and i would like to draw this

1:35:39 to 1:36:00( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Bennett: analogy that i hope will help us understand at least this republican's position. i won't try to speak for all members of my party, although i think many of them would be sympathetic with what i'm about to say. let's assume, mr. president, that your neighbor's house is on

1:36:01 to 1:36:22( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Bennett: fire and this is a serious problem. and your neighbor comes to you and says, "my house is on fire. lend me your garden hose so that i can put the fire out." and you say: "my garden hose isn't long enough to reach the fire "you don't understand," your

1:36:23 to 1:36:43( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Bennett: neighbor says, "my house is on fire. there are children ithe house. there are women in the house. they will die if you don't put out the fire lend me your garden hose." and i respond respond -- "i understand that there are children in the house. i understand that allowing the house to burn down is a

1:36:44 to 1:37:06( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Bennett: tremendous mistake. but my garden hose won't reach. we need a different if we're going to put out the fire." "no, no, no. the firing is reaching now, it's down, it's destroyed the top stories, it's getting down towards the bottom stories, people are fleeing. give me your garden hose or

1:37:07 to 1:37:27( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Bennett: you're a terrible person!" and you respond: "i'll be happy to give you a garden hose that will work but the garden hose i've got right now will not solve your problem i think we need that kind of an understand i am not a republican whoays

1:37:28 to 1:37:48( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Bennett: defend the present system. i listen to the speeches that are being made about how terrible the present system may be and i say, i agree with you, absolutely. i listen to the letters being read from home states that say, "i was denied coverage by a insurance company bureaucrat." "i lost my job and i lost my coverage."

1:38:13 to 1:38:33( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Bennett: beyond all credulity, we'll make it worse. we've heard about people who are being denied coverage under present system. mr. president, people will be denied coverage under the president's system. if we look at other countries that have adopted similar public plans of the kind we're about, w

1:38:34 to 1:38:54( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Bennett: whose covere is denied again and again. indeed, comment was made here about senator kennedy and the brave battle he is putting against his problem. if he lived under the single-payer coverage of other countries, he would be denied coverage because of his age we don't want that in america.

1:38:55 to 1:39:15( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Bennett: we don't want people like that to be denied the opportunities. and senator wyden and i have worked as hard as we can -- back to the analogy -- to create a garden hose that will to create a will, in fact, put out the fire,

1:39:16 to 1:39:37( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Bennett: solve the problems, and change the present system. so i thank the senator from oregon for making it clear that there are alternatives to the present system that are not necessarily the bills that are coming out of the two committees. you now, i'm not going to embarrass my friend from oregon

1:39:59 to 1:40:21( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Bennett: and we have now a growing of -- chorus of voices of people who are saying wyden-bennett looks like it will work. why don't we try it? and that's the only question that i am asking here is: why don't we try it? so far

1:40:22 to 1:40:45( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Bennett: been willing to look at the details of what we're talking about, and all we're asking is that they do so because we are convinced when they do, they will come to the conclusion that our garden hose will, in fact, put out the it more cheaply and more efficiently than the proposals that are before us. so aga, mr. president, i thank

1:40:46 to 1:41:05( Edit History Discussion )

Robert Bennett: my colleague from oregon for his leadership and his tenacity in going forward with honored to be associated with him in this effort, and i agree with all of the speeches that have been made that the present system i hope we can get together and solve the problem in a truly effective and bipartisan