Serious Business

MR. REID: MY FOCUS IS ON THIS LEGISLATION AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S OTHER THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH BEFORE WE LEAVE HERE. BUT I'M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THOSE AT THIS STAGE. I WANTTO FINISH THIS LEGISLATION. AND I WANT TO DO THAT AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN. AND SO I WOULD ASK THAT WE JUST PROCEED. ... I WOULD HOPE THAT MY FRIENDS UNDERSTAND THAT IT WOULD BE TO THE BENEFIT I THINK OF MOST EVERYONE IF WE COULD GET OUT OF HERE AT A DECENT HOUR TODAY. IF IT'S NOT, IF WE'RE

GOING TO KEEP GOING, THAT'S THE WAY IT IS IS, I'M AN OLD MARATHONER AND GETTING OLDER EVERY DAY.





THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE REPUBLICAN LEADER IS RECOGNIZED.







MR. McCONNELL: I WOULD JUST ADD, THERE'S SOME OBVIOUS

DISADVANTAGES TO THE MINORITY TO BE IN A RECONCILIATION CONTEXT, BUT ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES, WE'VE HAD MORE AMENDMENT VOTES TODAY THAN WE HAD IN THE ENTIRE MONTH OF DECEMBER ON THE PREVIOUS HEALTH CARE BILL, AND SO

THE MAJORITY LEADER MAY NOT THINK WE'RE SERIOUS ABOUT CHANGING THE BILL BUT WE'D LIKE TO

CHANGE THE BILL. AND WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS ON THE

OTHER SIDE, WE COULD IMPROVE THIS BILL SIGNIFICANTLY.

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