[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 8 (Thursday, February 3, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 3, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                     THERE IS A HEALTH CARE CRISIS

  (Mr. KOPETSKI asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KOPETSKI. Mr. Speaker, incredibly, there is a debate going on on 
whether to call the situation in health care today a crisis or just a 
problem. Get real. It is a crisis.
  The reason I think some people have a problem calling it a crisis is 
because there is not any big explosion. There is no earthquake. There 
is no flood going on. And others simply do not have the political will 
or fortitude to make some very tough political decisions for this 
country.
  In 1992, 17.4 percent of the nonelderly population, that is 38.5 
million people, were without health care coverage. That is 2 million 
more than the year before.
  Congress is working to help find health care access for tens of 
thousands of people.
  We are also, yes, today going to deal with the earthquake problems in 
California, and rightly so.
  So if we can help people in California with the earthquake aftermath, 
why can we not help the tens of millions of Americans who face a loss 
of their savings and their homes because they do not have health care 
coverage and get sick.
  Our health care system quickly becomes a crisis for anybody without 
insurance and does get ill.
  The letters from my constituents say, ``I think everyone should have 
the same health insurance coverage that you have as a United States 
Representative.'' I agree. Let us provide for our people in this 
country what we provide for ourselves.

                          ____________________