Harry Reid on Helping Kids With Cancer: “Why Would We Want To Do That?”

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Oct 2, 2013   |   3:45PM   |   Washington, DC

With a government shutdown over the issue of Obamacare and its abortion funding occupying most of the political debate, Democratic Senate leader Harry Reid put his foot in his mouth in a big way today.

The House is set to vote today on H.J. Res. 73, the Research for Lifesaving Cures Act, which ensures funding for the National Institutes of Health during the government shutdown over the Obamacare debate, but Reid said Senate Democrats aren’t interested in the House Republican bill.

IN a CNN interview, Reid responded:

CNN: “If you can help one child who has cancer, why wouldn’t you do it?”

Sen. Reid: “Why would we want to do that?”

CLICK LIKE IF YOU’RE PRO-LIFE!

 

The full transcript appears below:

DANA BASH: You all talked about children with cancer unable to go to clinical trials. The House is presumably going to pass a bill that funds at least the NIH. Given what you’ve said, will you at least pass that? And if not, aren’t you playing the same political games that Republicans are?

HARRY REID: Listen, Sen. Durbin explained that very well, and he did it here, did it on the floor earlier, as did Sen. Schumer. What right did they have to pick and choose what part of government is going to be funded? It’s obvious what’s going on here. You talk about reckless and irresponsible. Wow. What this is all about is Obamacare. They are obsessed. I don’t know what other word I can use. They’re obsessed with this Obamacare. It’s working now and it will continue to work and people will love it more than they do now by far. So they have no right to pick and choose.

BASH: But if you can help one child who has cancer, why wouldn’t you do it?

REID: Why would we want to do that? I have 1,100 people at Nellis Air Force base that are sitting home. They have a few problems of their own. This is — to have someone of your intelligence to suggest such a thing maybe means you’re irresponsible and reckless –

BASH: I’m just asking a question.