“I and some of my colleagues just received a call from the President of the United States, Barack Obama, congratulating us on a great victory for the American people. I thank the President for his tremendous leadership because without President Obama in the White House, this victory would not have been possible.”

“For generations, the American people have called for affordable, quality health care for their families. Today, the call will be answered. Today, we will pass the Affordable Health Care for America Act.”

“When the President was speaking, I couldn’t help but think of Senator Kennedy. Senator Kennedy called passing health care ‘the great unfinished business of our country.’ He also said it was about the character of our country that we do this.”

“Mr. Speaker, words fail when a tragedy of this magnitude comes in such an unexpected way. That someone who had the confidence of the military, within its own walls would perpetrate such a tragedy on people whose lives are dedicated to protecting the American people. It was an unspeakable tragedy, of course, for the families, soldiers, civilians, and support staff on the base at Fort Hood. But it was also a wound to our entire country.”

“Within the next few days, the House will vote on the most comprehensive health care legislation in our history. Our bill will provide affordability to the middle class, security to our seniors, and responsibility to our children by not adding a dime to the deficit.”

“Congress has taken critical – and necessary – steps to protect the middle class and set the stage for economic growth. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has created or saved nearly 1 million jobs so far, and our rescue efforts have placed the financial system on firmer footing.”

“Today’s passage of comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee brings us one step closer to transforming our economy and creating good-paying clean energy jobs while protecting our environment for future generations.”

“The shooting at Fort Hood is an unspeakable tragedy for the families, soldiers, civilians, and support staff on the base. Our brave men and women in uniform train day in and day out to preserve our security. They should never have to face the forces of violence here at home.”

““It’s a smart choice for our nation’s economy. Every dollar spent on unemployment benefits generates more than $1.60 in new economic demand. It’s good for businesses, it’s good for workers. This money, because it is so needed by these out of work families, will, again, be spent immediately, inject demand into the economy, creating jobs to the tune of $1.60 for every dollar.”

“We come together at a time when we are on the verge of passing historic health care reform legislation and our Members are very enthusiastic about a provision in the legislation that includes the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. It has been a long time coming and it is a moral responsibility that we carry a healthy nation in the country and one that develops with the participation of our tribal leaders to what works best on health care in Indian Country.”