[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Pages 12620-12621]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          REPEAL OF OBAMACARE

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I might say to my friend the majority 
leader before he leaves the floor that I listened carefully to his 
speech about what most Americans refer to as ObamaCare. Given the fact 
that our friends on the other side are going to focus on that bill this 
particular week, I think it might be a good idea to have a vote on it, 
on the pending bill.
  It would be my intent to offer an amendment that I know my friend 
does not support, but nevertheless many Americans would like to know. 
Since we have spent a good deal of time positioning over the last few 
months on various and assorted issues, I think it would be appropriate 
to have a vote on the repeal of ObamaCare, and I hope to be able to 
offer that amendment during the pendency of the bill on cyber security, 
which we believe will be open to amendments. I wonder if my friend 
thinks that might be something both sides might agree would be a good 
idea.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I wonder if the official reporter could show 
the big smile on my face. Can my colleagues imagine how ridiculous my 
friend the Republican leader's statement is. Listen to what he said. We 
are doing cyber security. We have talked about the dangers of cyber 
security if we don't do something about it. He is now telling me he 
wants a vote to repeal all the stuff I just talked about on the cyber 
security bill? That is very difficult to comprehend.
  I think we should understand that I don't think a woman getting 
contraception has a thing to do with shutting down the power grids in 
America or the financial services in America or our water systems or 
our sewer systems. That is what cyber security is all about, not 
whether a woman can have contraception or whether she can have a 
wellness check to find out if she has cancer from not having had a 
mammogram.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, will the majority leader yield for a 
question?
  Mr. REID. I would be happy to yield.
  Mr. DURBIN. I would like to ask the majority leader, do I remember 
correctly that the very first amendment on the Transportation bill was 
offered by Senator Blunt of Missouri on family planning? So is there a 
family planning amendment available on every bill now that will be 
offered by the Republican side?
  I know the House Republicans have had 30 or 33 votes to repeal 
ObamaCare. Are we going to try to match them with similar efforts in 
the Senate?
  Mr. REID. My response to my friend is this: I try to be very calm 
about things in life generally, especially things here on the floor, 
but I can't remain very calm about this. I have, as do a lot of people 
I know, 16 grandchildren. They are evenly divided between boys and 
girls. I want my granddaughters to be treated so that if they

[[Page 12621]]

want to go get some contraception, have some contraceptive device while 
in school at New York University or Berkeley--I am bragging that they 
got into those schools--they should have the ability to do that.
  I just can't imagine what we are talking about here on the Senate 
floor. Cyber security is one of the most important--it is the most 
important issue, as I have already said. If my colleagues want to talk 
to General Petraeus, he will tell us about what it is, or General 
Dempsey will tell us what the important issue is. The No. 1 issue today 
is whether we are going to have bad people attack our country and shut 
it down. Now we are here being asked if we are going to have a vote, on 
cyber security, as to when my grandchildren can have contraception.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Republican leader.
  Mr. McCONNELL. I guess the answer is no.
  My friends are going to spend the week lauding the advantages as they 
see them of an immensely unpopular bill that was passed a couple of 
years ago on a straight party-line vote--ObamaCare. Yet, in a week in 
which, apparently, they are going to laud the various positions of it, 
they are not willing to have a vote in support of it. So I gather that 
is a vote we will not have. I will request the opportunity to do that 
again. After listening to my good friend the majority leader, I 
anticipate such a request would likely be blocked.
  On another matter----
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, my friend asked me a question.
  Mr. McCONNELL. I believe I have the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Republican leader has the 
floor.
  Mr. REID. OK. I won't answer the question then.

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