[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 34 (Wednesday, March 23, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 23, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                   WHO PAYS FOR HEALTH CARE COVERAGE?

  (Mr. BOEHNER asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, and my colleagues, the foundation of the 
Clinton health care plan is a requirement that employers shall pay 80 
percent of the cost of health care coverage for their employees.
  It is estimated by a number of different organizations that this 
would cost 3 million Americans their jobs. So as congressional 
committees begin to look at various health care proposals, including 
the Clinton plan, they are having their doubts about the employer 
mandate.
  So what they are doing is they are beginning to look at smaller 
mandates. ``Let us just require employers to pay part of it, less than 
80 percent; let us begin to give subsidies to small employers,'' they 
say. It is the classic strategy of getting the camel's nose under the 
tent before we stick them with a big bill later on.
  We need to fix the current system, we need to help the working poor 
get affordable health care insurance, but not at the cost of losing 
their job. Let us oppose employer mandates; let us fix the current 
system and let us do for the American people what they want, health 
care, affordable for each and every American.

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