This scene made possible by proper health care

The 113th Congress opened today and most of the first day of work was a celebration of power and privilege.

But this was a nice moment…

Sen. Mark Kirk had a stroke 11 months ago at a relatively young age.For the record, yes, he did vote against the Affordable Care Act.

He says he has a new view on government-provided care.

“Had I been limited to that I would have had no chance to recover like I did. So unlike before suffering the stroke, I’m much more focused on Medicaid and what my fellow citizens face,” Kirk told the Sun Times.

Nearly 250,000 people with brain damage are in nursing homes that are ill equipped to care for them. BusinessWeek reported last week the more expensive facilities are not available to many of them because Medicaid won’t pay for it.