McConnell's full remarks on health care vote

>> MR. PRESIDENT.
>> MAJORITY LEADER.
>> SEVEN YEARS AGO -- SEVEN
YEARS AGO, DEMOCRATS IMPOSED
OBAMACARE ON OUR COUNTRY.
THEY SAID COSTS WOULD GO DOWN.
COSTS SKYROCKETED.
THEY SAID CHOICE WOULD GO UP.
CHOICE PLUMMETED.
NOW OBAMACARE'S YEARS-LONG LURCH
TOWARD TOTAL COLLAPSE IS NEARING
A SEEMINGLY INEVITABLE
CONCLUSION.
AND IT WILL HURT EVEN MORE
AMERICANS ON THE WAY DOWN.
THIS, MY FRIENDS, IS THE
OBAMACARE STATUS QUO.
THIS IS THE STATUS QUO.
WE HAD TO ACCEPT IT FOR A LONG
TIME.
WE DON'T HAVE TO ACCEPT IT ANY
LONGER.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ELECTED A
HOUSE WITH A VISION OF A BETTER
WAY ON HEALTH CARE, THEN THEY
ELECTED A SENATE, THEN THEY
ELECTED A PRESIDENT.
NOW, HAVING BEEN GIVEN A
RESPONSIBILITY TO GOVERN, WE
HAVE A DUTY TO ACT.
THE PRESIDENT'S READY WITH HIS
PEN.
THE HOUSE HAS PASSED
LEGISLATION.
TODAY, IT'S THE SENATE'S TURN.
THAT STARTS WITH A VOTE WE'LL
TAKE MOMENTARILY.
THE CRITICAL FIRST STEP IN THAT
PROCESS, THE MOTION TO PROCEED.
IT'S THE VOTE THAT DETERMINES
WHETHER THIS DEBATE CAN PROCEED
AT ALL.
WHETHER WE'LL EVEN TAKE IT UP.
AFTER FOUR STRAIGHT ELECTIONS IN
WHICH THIS WAS A HUGE COMMITMENT
TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, IT'S THE
VOTE THAT DETERMINES WHETHER
SENATORS OF BOTH PARTIES CAN
OFFER THEIR AMENDMENTS AND IDEAS
ON HEALTH CARE.
WELL, I TOLD THE PEOPLE OF MY
STATE OVER THIS PERIOD THAT I'D
VOTE TO MOVE BEYOND OBAMACARE.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO DO
TODAY BY VOTING YES.
AND I WOULD ASK ALL MY
COLLEAGUES TO JOIN ME IN DOING
SO.
WE'VE ALREADY SHOWN IT'S
POSSIBLE TO PUT LEGISLATION ON
THE PRESIDENT'S DESK THAT MOVES
US BEYOND OBAMACARE AND ITS
YEARS OF FAILURE.
WE DID THAT TWO YEARS AGO.
PRESIDENT OBAMA VETOED WHAT WE
PASSED BEFORE.
PRESIDENT TRUMP WILL SIGN WHAT
CONGRESS PASSES THIS TIME.
I WANT TO THANK THE PRESIDENT
AND THE ADMINISTRATION FOR ALL
THEY'VE DONE ON THIS ISSUE
ALREADY.
THEY'VE WORKED WITH US EVERY
STEP OF THE WAY, AND THEY, LIKE
US, KNOW THE CONSEQUENCES OF
FAILING TO ACT.
LOOK, WE CAN'T LET THIS MOMENT
SLIP BY.
WE CAN'T LET IT SLIP BY.
TALKED ABOUT THIS TOO LONG.
WE'VE WRESTLED WITH THIS ISSUE.
WE'VE WATCHED THE CONSEQUENCES
OF THE STATUS QUO.
PEOPLE WHO SENT US HERE EXPECT
US TO BEGIN THIS DEBATE, TO HAVE
THE COURAGE TO TACKLE A TOUGH
ISSUE.
THEY DIDN'T SEND US HERE JUST TO
DO THE EASY STUFF.
THEY EXPECT US TO TACKLE THE BIG
PROBLEMS.
AND OBVIOUSLY, WE CAN'T GET AN
OUTCOME IF WE DON'T START THE
DEBATE.
AND THAT'S WHAT THE MOTION TO
PROCEED IS ALL ABOUT.
MANY OF US ON THIS SIDE OF THE
AISLE HAVE WAITED FOR YEARS FOR
THIS OPPORTUNITY AND THOUGHT IT
WOULD PROBABLY NEVER COME.
SOME OF US WERE A LITTLE
SURPRISED BY THE ELECTION LAST
YEAR.
BUT WITH A SURPRISE ELECTION
COMES GREAT OPPORTUNITIES.
TO DO THINGS WE THOUGHT WERE
NEVER POSSIBLE.
SO ALL WE HAVE TO DO TODAY IS TO
HAVE THE COURAGE TO BEGIN THE
DEBATE WITH AN OPEN AMENDMENT
PROCESS AND LET THE VOTING TAKE
US WHERE IT WILL.
SO, THAT'S WHAT'S BEFORE US.
COLLEAGUES.
WILL WE BEGIN THE DEBATE ON ONE
OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES
CONFRONTING AMERICA

McConnell's full remarks on health care vote

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