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Floor Speech
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Mr. HOEVEN. I would like to thank my colleague from Missouri. As my colleagues have pointed out, we rise to support Senator Kennedy's UC-- unanimous consent request--his legislation, because we have consistently supported funding for Medicare and funding for our farmers and our ranchers who work hard to provide food, fuel, and fiber for our Nation.
That is why I support both the UC request and the amendment that Senator Graham is sponsoring. I am cosponsoring that amendment as well. That would ensure that we fund these priorities.
I do not support linking these funds with an increase in the debt ceiling, as the bill from the House would do, without our amendment.
We should not be tying the debt ceiling to important legislation that ensures healthcare providers can continue to care for our seniors and protect our farmers who produce the highest quality, lowest cost food supply in the world.
So I strongly support and have cosponsored the Graham amendment which would strike the fast-track debt ceiling process from this bill. As we are saying very clearly, we support the funding for Medicare. We support the funding for our farmers and ranchers.
Now, Democrats, who control the White House, the Senate, and the House, are trying to use reconciliation to pass a trillion-plus tax- and-spending bill on a purely partisan basis. Given that, they obviously can use reconciliation to pass a debt ceiling increase on their own. They do not need this House legislation to do it.
And with that, I will yield to my colleague from Kansas.
Mr. MARSHALL: I thank the Senator for yielding. I am honored to be here this evening to support my colleague from Louisiana. I want to take this Nation back to a year ago, a year ago this spring in April 2020. COVID was on the rise--our first variant, our first wave ripping through this country. Our ERs were overflowing; the ICU beds were full; and doctors and nurses across this Nation ran to the sound of the battle.
We didn't have vaccines. There weren't therapeutics, but we took an oath to take care of our fellow man. I joined those doctors. I went to an ICU in Southwest Kansas where we had 8 beds, 12 patients, and 9 ventilators.
So how are we going to reward those doctors today? We are going to cut their pay. We are going to cut most doctors' pay 2 to 11 percent. Even before COVID, there was a doctor shortage. There was doctor burnout. Because of this pay cut, even more doctors will quit. More doctors are going to stop taking Medicare.
Yesterday, the leadership on the other side of the aisle just wanted to kick doctors, but today I found out they are kicking farmers in the shins as well. Holding doctors and farmers hostage is no way to run a government. I, too, am tired of seeing doctors and farmers used as pawns for political gain.
I support Senator Kennedy's bill, and I am honored to turn it back to him.
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