Senate Democrats' Emotional Press Conference on Health Care Reform 

Senator Harkin Praises Harry Reid, Remembers Ted Kennedy

C-SPAN.ORG

By a vote of 60–39, the Senate voted to limit debate on the health care bill, setting up a vote for final passage on the morning of December 24. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) was joined by several of his Democratic colleagues at a press conference to discuss the approaching final vote on the bill.

Here is BFIA's transcript of Senator Harkin's words on Capitol Hill following the cloture vote.  Click here to watch the video on C-SPAN.  Harry Reid appears to be holding back tears; ditto for Chris Dodd. 

[Senator Harkin thanked the committees for their work in the “fairly bipartisan proceedings.”] 

“We held out our hand, but we were rebuffed. The leadership on the other side said no.  Well, we wouldn't be here today without the great work of every senator here but…there's one who has been here every day, has not been home, has not been with his family…this wouldn't have been possible without Senator Reid.  He's exhibited the patience of Job, the wisdom of Solomon, and the endurance of Samson. And he is on the verge of achieving what majority leaders going back over half a century, have failed to accomplish.  This vote today and at the final vote tomorrow, make no mistake, Majority Leader Reid has earned his place in the Senate's history (applause).

“We are all saddened and cognizant of the fact that the real author of this bill, Ted Kennedy, is not with us, but there is one person who really carried on for him, his staff person for over 20 years…Michael Meyers…

(Harkin gave props to all of the Senate staff) “who worked “literally almost 24 hours per day for the last 24 straight days.  It's often been said that senators are a constitutional impediment to the smooth functioning of staff” (laughter)…

“It was wonderful when we had that 1 am vote on Monday morning, to look up in the gallery and see Vicky Kennedy (thanked Vicky Kennedy).

“This is a great achievement.  With all the talk, and all the debate, and all the charts, and all the tom foolery that goes on on the Senate floor, what it really comes down to is this:  For far too long, we've had one dividing line in America that no other developed country has, a dividing line, which on one side, those with wealth and health had good health care – they had the privilege of having good health care –  but on the other side, so many didn't.  What this bill does is, we finally take that step from health care as a privilege to health care as an inalienable right of every single American citizen.

As I've said before, this bill is not complete. I've used the analogy of a starter home on which we can add additions and enhancements as we go into the future.  But like every right that we've ever passed for the American people, we revisit it later on to enhance and build on those rights.  And we will do that here surely, we will enhance and build on this.  But we have made that first and most important step to make it a right rather than a privilege.