OBJECTION? WITHOUT OBJECTION. MR. McCONNELL: SO,
MR. PRESIDENT, THIS IS CLEARLY A DISAPPOINTING MOMENT. FROM SKYROCKETING COSTS TO
PLUMMETING CHOICES AND COLLAPSING MARKETS, OUR CONSTITUENTS HAVE SUFFERED
THROUGH AN AWFUL LOT UNDER OBAMACARE. WE THOUGHT THEY DESERVE BETTER.
IT'S WHY I AND MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES DID AS WE PROMISED AND VOTED TO REPEAL THIS FAILED
LAW. WE TOLD OUR CONSTITUENTS WE WOULD VOTE THAT WAY, AND WHEN
THE MOMENT CAME, WHEN THE MOMENT CAME, MOST OF US DID. WE KEPT OUR COMMITMENTS.
WE WORKED HARD, AND EVERYBODY ON THIS SIDE CAN CERTAINLY ATTEST TO THE FACT THAT WE WORKED
REALLY HARD. TO TRY TO DEVELOP A CONSENSUS FOR A BETTER WAY FORWARD.
AND I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY IN THIS CONFERENCE FOR THE ENDLESS AMOUNT OF TIME THAT THEY SPENT
TRYING TO ACHIEVE A CONSENSUS TO GO FORWARD. I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE
PRESIDENT AND THE VICE PRESIDENT WHO COULDN'T HAVE BEEN MORE INVOLVED AND MORE HELPFUL.
SO YES, THIS IS A DISAPPOINTMENT. A DISAPPOINTMENT INDEED.
OUR FRIENDS OVER IN THE HOUSE, WE THANK THEM AS WELL. I REGRET THAT OUR EFFORTS WERE
SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH THIS TIME. NOW, I IMAGINE MANY OF OUR COLLEAGUES ON THE OTHER SIDE ARE
CELEBRATING. PROBABLY PRETTY HAPPY ABOUT ALL THIS.
BUT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE HURTING, AND THEY NEED RELIEF. OUR FRIENDS ON THE OTHER SIDE
DECIDED EARLY ON THEY DIDN'T WANT TO ENGAGE WITH US AND IN A SERIOUS WAY, A SERIOUS WAY TO
HELP THOSE SUFFERING UNDER OBAMACARE. THEY DID EVERYTHING THEY COULD
TO BE PREVENT THE SENATE FROM PROVIDING A BETTER WAY FORWARD, INCLUDING SUCH THINGS AS READING
AMENDMENTS FOR ENDLESS AMOUNTS OF TIME, SUCH THINGS AS HOLDING UP NOMINATIONS FOR KEY POSITIONS
IN THE ADMINISTRATION BECAUSE THEY WERE UNHAPPY THAT WE WERE TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO
SOMETHING BETTER THAN OBAMACARE. SO I EXPECT THAT THEY ARE PRETTY SATISFIED TONIGHT.
I REGRET TO SAY THAT THEY SUCCEEDED IN THAT EFFORT. SO NOW I THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE
TO ASK WHAT ARE THEIR IDEAS. IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT THEY SUGGEST AS THE WAY
FORWARD. FOR MYSELF, I CAN SAY AND I THINK I'M PRETTY SAFE IN SAYING
FOR PEOPLE ON THIS SIDE OF THE AISLE THAT BAILING OUT INSURANCE COMPANIES, BAILING OUT INSURANCE
COMPANIES WITH NO THOUGHT OF ANY KIND OF REFORM IS NOT SOMETHING I WANT TO BE PART OF.
AND I SUSPECT THAT NOT MANY FOLKS OVER HERE ARE INTERESTED IN THAT.
BUT IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT THEY HAVE IN MIND. QUADRUPLING DOWN ON THE FAILURES
OF OBAMACARE WITH A SINGLE-PAYER SYSTEM. WE HAD THAT VOTE A LITTLE
EARLIER, THANKS TO THE SENATOR FROM MONTANA. ALMOST EVERYBODY VOTED PRESENT.
APPARENTLY, THEY DIDN'T WANT TO MAKE A DECISION ABOUT WHETHER THEY WERE FOR OR AGAINST
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE. GOVERNMENT TAKEOVER OF EVERYTHING.
EUROPEAN HEALTH CARE. ONLY FOUR OF THEM WEREN'T AFRAID TO SAY THEY DIDN'T THINK THAT
WAS A GOOD IDEA. MAYBE THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT TO OFFER.
WE WILL BE HAPPY TO HAVE THAT DEBATE WITH THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. SO IT'S TIME FOR OUR FRIEND ON
THE OTHER SIDE TO TELL US WHAT THEY HAVE IN MIND, AND WE'LL SEE HOW THE AMERICAN PEOPLE FEEL
ABOUT THEIR IDEAS. SO I REGRET THAT WE'RE HERE, BUT I WANT TO SAY AGAIN I'M PROUD OF
THE VOTE I CAST TONIGHT. IT'S CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE TOLD THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WE
WOULD TRY TO ACCOMPLISH IN FOUR STRAIGHT ELECTIONS IF THEY GAVE US A CHANCE, AND I WANT TO THANK
ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES ON THIS SIDE OF THE AISLE FOR EVERYTHING THEY DID TO TRY TO KEEP THAT
COMMITMENT. WHAT WE TRIED TO ACCOMPLISH FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WAS THE
RIGHT THING FOR THE COUNTRY. AND OUR ONLY REGRET TONIGHT, OUR ONLY REGRET, IS THAT WE DIDN'T
ACHIEVE WHAT WE HAD HOPED TO ACCOMPLISH. I THINK THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE
GOING TO REGRET THAT WE COULDN'T FIND A BETTER WAY FORWARD. AND AS I SAID, WE LOOK FORWARD
TO OUR COLLEAGUES ON THE OTHER SIDE SUGGESTING