[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Pages 4749-4750]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            SGR LEGISLATION

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I have spent a little bit of time talking 
about the sustainable growth rate--the doc fix--or the SGR. Before the 
Senate recessed for the Easter break, Republicans were unable to agree 
on how to prevent the physician pay cut. Democrats were ready to 
proceed. The last night we were here, we said: When we come back, we 
want to move this House bill forward. We want three simple amendments.
  We still feel the same way. We are willing not only to move forward 
on those amendments, but we will give a very short time agreement on 
each one of them.
  The Republican leader said when bills come to the floor, he wants to 
have amendments. We don't want to amend this bill to death. We want 
three simple amendments. We said that the night we were here when 
closing the Senate for the Easter recess, and we say it again. I wish 
Republicans would have joined us years ago in our efforts to repeal 
this faulty law, but they did not do that.
  Regardless of the history, we have an urgent need before us today to 
get this bill done. Each day that passes without

[[Page 4750]]

doing this SGR, this sustainable growth rate--to get rid of it is 
basically what we are doing. It would be a good day for America. It 
would also be a good day for America when we can confirm Loretta Lynch. 
Each day that passes without her confirmation and without a doc fix is 
just another example of Republicans' inability to govern.
  Mr. President, would you announce the business of the day.

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