[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 22 (Thursday, March 3, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


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

 
                           HEALTH CARE REFORM

  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I listened to the President last night 
talking about the reason the health care plan is losing supporters is 
because all these ``special interest groups are spending millions and 
millions and millions of dollars.'' How much has the White House spent? 
How much has the administration spent? They have been at this a year. 
How much have they raised? How much has the Democratic National 
Committee raised from big corporations?
  They had a list in last week's paper, a big list, of big business 
giving money on health care. Before the President says anything about 
all these little Harry and Louise ads, I think we ought to add up the 
total.
  The last time I looked, the first amendment said you had a right to 
express your views in America. Just as President Clinton does, just as 
Senator Dole does, just as anybody in this Chamber does. People opposed 
to this plan have a right to express their views. It would be nice if 
they did not have any money and they could say there is not anything 
wrong with this plan. There are a lot of things wrong with this plan. 
The plan is in the terminal stage right now, at least in intensive 
care.
  So I hope the President will give the American people more specifics 
about the plan. You cannot do everything for everybody, add new 
entitlement programs for early retirees, long-term care, prescription 
drugs and tell everybody in America you are going to get more and say 
it does not cost anything, you are going to save money. That is the 
judgment we have.
  We are going to go off this afternoon, 33 Republicans, and we are 
going to have a conference this afternoon and tomorrow. We do not have 
any intention of coming out with a plan but we are going to see how 
close we can come. It is still my hope--as I said yesterday, I worked 
on a lot of bipartisan measures on health care over the years--it is my 
hope we will end up with a bipartisan measure and we will stop arguing 
about whether it is a crisis, a serious problem, this or that, some 
little nit-picking thing.
  We will talk about how do we make it work, how do we take care of 
people who do not have the coverage now, how do we pay for it, who 
wins, who loses and how can we do it on a bipartisan basis? Maybe we 
cannot. Maybe the time will come in September, October, November when 
we just have to have 2 votes, but I do not think every Democrat 
supports the President's plan, not every Republican supports every 
Republican plan. We have plans, the Democrats have two or three plans. 
I think the American people would like to see us come together. We hope 
we can make some contribution today and tomorrow in our Republican 
conference. The primary purpose would be to go out, do our best, write 
down everything we agree on and disagree on and then start working in 
the areas of disagreement. I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Missouri is recognized.

                          ____________________