[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 10 (Monday, February 7, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 7, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
           THE THIRD WAY TO FINANCE HEALTH CARE FOR EVERYONE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from California [Mr. Stark] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, a number of large business organizations have 
said recently that they would like to reconsider the financing 
mechanisms in the President's health care plan.
  They oppose taxes to help finance care for the low-income and 
uninsured. They oppose mandates on employers to guarantee such 
insurance, so they are looking for a third alternative.
  There is a third option, and we are overdue for it.
  I refer, of course, to the option described in Exodus 16: 14-15 and 
Numbers 11: 7-9: ``Manna from Heaven.''
  There is a good chance in the year 2000 that manna will fall again. 
The reason is clear: the first manna fell 3000 years ago, about the 
year 1000 BC. All good things come in threes: there are three branches 
of the Federal Government, and this is the Nation's third major debate 
on health care reform in 30 years. The coincidence of threes is so 
strong, that I think we can count on a new crop of manna very soon.
  All we have to do is legislate that everyone goes out and collects 
the manna every morning and uses it to pay for their health insurance 
policies. All our tough financing problems will evaporate like the 
morning dew that brings the manna.
  On the other hand, the Congressional Budget Office, being the cynics 
that they are, may not give us scorable savings for this financing 
alternative.
  Which brings us back to taxes or employer mandates.
  Mr. Speaker, people can look and look, but there is no health finance 
tooth fairy who will give us health care for free. To think so is to 
believe the Earth is flat, there is a fountain of youth, a perpetual 
motion machine is possible, and cold fusion will work.
  Let's grow up and do our duty: taxes and/or employer mandates. They 
are the options. Look no further.

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