Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), who opposes the House and Senate health care bills:
“It does us no good to incite fear in people by saying that there’s these end-of-life provisions, these death panels,” Murkowski, a Republican, said. “Quite honestly, I’m so offended at that terminology because it absolutely isn’t (in the bill). There is no reason to gin up fear in the American public by saying things that are not included in the bill.”
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), considered by folks like Ben Nelson, Max Baucus, Kent Conrad and Barack Obama to be a good-faith negotiator and key player in the quest to develop a bipartisan health compromise:
“There is some fear because in the House bill, there is counseling for end-of-life,” Grassley said. “And from that standpoint, you have every right to fear. [...] We should not have a government program that determines if you’re going to pull the plug on grandma.”