Sens. Harry Reid (D-NV), Max Baucus (D-MT), Chris Dodd (D-CT), and Tom Harkin (D-IA) gave a press conference after a 60-39 Senate cloture vote allowed the final health care reform vote to proceed tomorrow morning. They were excited, to say the least.
Reid kicked things off with some inspiring words: “We stand on the doorstep of history, we recognize that. But much more important we stand so close to making so many individual lives better.”
Max Baucus also spoke, calling today a “victory.”
“When we started on this path more than a year ago, we knew it wouldn’t be easy. But we have worked tirelessly to deliver more affordable health care,” he said.
“Leadership,” said Baucus, “is not doing what’s easy. Leadership is taking on what’s difficult, and what is right.”
Then it was Dodd’s turn: “The road to this moment has been long and difficult as we all know. Progress always is.”
He continued: “Those who have attempted to make our union more perfect have always faced overwhelming odds.”
“History will judge harshly those who have chosen the simple path of obstruction over the hard work of making change. It always does,” said Dodd.
Harkin, rocking a bright red vest and festive tie, praised Reid: “To put it in Biblical terms, he has exhibited the patience of Job, the wisdom of Solomon, and the endurance of Sampson.”
Harkin also said that Reid “is on the verge of achieving what majority leaders going back over a half a century have failed accomplish.”
He also addressed the fact that no Republicans voted to proceed with the vote: “We held out our hand, but we were rebuffed. Leadership on the other side said no.”
Nevertheless, he said, the bill helps the country “take that step from health care as a privilege, to health care as an inalienable right of every single American citizen.”
